The Oregon Electric Railway Passenger Station is a historic railroad station in

Eugene Eugene may refer to: People and fictional characters * Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the sin ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It was built in 1914 as a station for the

Oregon Electric Railway The Oregon Electric Railway (OE) was an interurban railroad line in the U.S. state of Oregon that linked Portland to Eugene. Service from Portland to Salem began in January 1908. The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway purchased the system in ...

and was designed by

A. E. Doyle Albert Ernest Doyle (July 27, 1877 – January 23, 1928) was a prolific architect in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington. He is most often credited for his works as A.E. Doyle. He opened his own architectural practice in 1907. From ...

. Passenger service by the Oregon Electric Railway was discontinued in 1933, and the station was used as an office and for storage. Slate Tractor opened an Allis-Chalmers dealership in Eugene on October 22, 1937 with a temporary location on 7th Avenue, moving to the Oregon Electric Station building February 3, 1938. Shortly thereafter, on July 15, 1938, Edward C. (E.C.) Papé purchased the dealership, starting what is now known as The Papé Group, Inc. E.C. operated his dealership at the station for 4 years before relocating the business to a location on West 1st Street. In 1961, the station became a branch of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), the Southwest Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (SWOMSI).The Science Factory: About Us
/ref> After breaking with OMSI in 1978, the Willamette Science and Technology Center (WISTEC) sold the station and gave the proceeds to Lane County to build a

children's museum Children's museums are institutions that provide exhibits and programs to stimulate informal learning experiences for children. In contrast with traditional museums that typically have a hands-off policy regarding exhibits, children's museums feat ...

Alton Baker Park Alton Baker Park is located in Eugene, Oregon, United States, near Autzen Stadium. It was named for Alton F. Baker Sr., the eleventh owner (60 years after it was founded) of Eugene's ''The Guard'' newspaper (later ''The Register-Guard''). It fe ...

. SWOMSI's displays included train cars adjacent to the building. The train cars became part of the dining facilities for later restaurants located in the station.Architectural Associates: Oregon Electric Station
/ref> Work began to convert the station into a restaurant in 1977. The first restaurant in the space was called "Andy's Eugene Station". The station was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, as the Oregon Electric Railway Passenger Station, in 1979. The Oregon Electric Station restaurant operated in the station until permanently closing in 2020. As of 2021, the Lane County History Museum was looking at moving from its original location next to the Lane County Fairgrounds to the railway station.

References

External links

Oregon Electric Station historyHistoric photos of Oregon Electric Passenger Station
from the University of Oregon Libraries {{National Register of Historic Places Oregon 1914 establishments in Oregon A. E. Doyle buildings Buildings and structures in Eugene, Oregon Culture of Eugene, Oregon Former railway stations in Oregon Georgian Revival architecture in Oregon National Register of Historic Places in Eugene, Oregon Railway stations in the United States opened in 1914 Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon Tourist attractions in Eugene, Oregon Transportation buildings and structures in Lane County, Oregon Transportation in Eugene, Oregon