The Active Historian

Hey, friend! Welcome back to another post. Today, I wanted to show you the Santa Fe Depot in Norman, Oklahoma! I love railroad history and enjoyed looking around the outside of the building.

“In 1866, the United States signed treaties with the Creek and Seminole Nations and acquired land in central Indian Territory that would later be called the Unassigned Lands. In 1870, the U.S. Land Office contracted for the area to be surveyed. The Norman vicinity was surveyed between 1871 and 1873. Among the contractor’s team was a young Abner E. Norman for whom the surveyor’s field camp was named.

On July 4, 1884, President Chester A. Arthur authorized the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railroad Company to build a railroad across Indian Territory. In the early stages of railroad construction, the proposed station grounds for the Norman area were referred to as “Dugout” because of its existing dugouts at the old surveyor’s campsite (Norman’s Camp) located on today’s Bishop Creek. However, on May 2, 1887, railroad officials assigned the name “Norman” to the station grounds.

At approximately 1:00 p.m. on June 13, 1887, the first northbound passenger train passed Norman Station. On July 4, 1887, a boxcar equipped with telegraph instruments was placed on the railroad siding with the name “Norman” displayed on the outside. When the Unassigned Lands were opened by run for settlement on April 22, 1889, Norman Station was selected by railroad engineer Charles Chamberlin, to become the site for the new town of Norman.

The present depot was built in 1909 and served the city continuously until passenger service ended in 1979. During the 1980’s, a concerned group of citizens oversaw restoration of the depot. The depot was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on January 25, 1991. In 1999 the depot resumed its original use when passenger service was restored to Norman.”

City of Norman Historic District Committee & Norman Depot Inc., June 13, 1999

Concluding Thoughts

I enjoyed walking around the Santa Fe Depot in Norman! My family rode the train from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth when I was a kid and I remember the train stopping in Norman, but we obviously didn’t get off until we got to Fort Worth.

If you visit, there is parking close to the station right off the street so you can easily access the depot.

TRAVEL TIP: The Santa Fe Depot is located along the mile-long Legacy Trail which has several statues and plaques you can see.

Visit

200 S Jones Avenue

Norman, OK 73069

Sources

Santa Fe Depot – City of Norman – website

The Depot – website