Historical Lehi
Historic Lehi train depot opens for Heritage Day
D. J. West | Guest Writer
Organizers of the Utah Southern Railroad Depot Museum are excited to announce the museum will be open and free to the public for Lehi Heritage Day this Saturday from 2:30-6 p.m., at 225 E. State St. The authentically restored 1872 train depot was honored with a historical marker in 2024.
The museum had a soft re-opening on July 25, which drew a crowd of more than 250 visitors. Organizers, who are descendants of the R. J. Stice, station master of the Lehi Depot, are hoping for a repeat this weekend. They have worked many weeks to create interesting and educational exhibits for the public.
On July 25, visitors interacted with an educational video and telegraph, and they learned about the Morse Code, the very first form of “texting” sent in 1844 by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail. Visitors wrote out and transmitted their names using Morse Code on the telegraph.
The ticket and baggage room displayed the types of luggage shipped and received in 1872, the year the railroad first reached Lehi from Salt Lake City. The freight, packages and U.S. Mail were on display along with educational posters on these subjects. The Station Master’s desk contained items typical of those used daily within the Depot. A wall display depicted the history, restoration and dedication of the Depot in 2001.
The waiting room contained some antiques typical of the Depot’s era from 1872 to 1972 along with an educational video on the history, restoration and artistic depiction of life upstairs in the Depot where the station master’s family lived.
A man dressed as a train conductor presented a model train layout depicting Lehi circa 1905, along with two suitcase model trains. One unique display in the room was a life-size 1872 train parlor where visitors could sit and watch the countryside go by with the sounds of the train.
A scale model of the Depot was provided by Jim Wanlass, multi-model endpoint builder. Visitors were also invited to participate in a scavenger hunt with a prize upon completion.
Outside on the track siding, visitors found an old Lehi Roller Mills grain unloader used to unload grain from train cars into trucks. The Timpanogos Flute Circle provided Native American Flute Music on the deck of the Depot.
For more information on this historic railroad depot, visit https://www.lehihistory.org/utah-southern-railroad.
