History surrounds Grand Canyon Railway. On the south end of the rail line is the Williams Depot, built in 1908. At the north end is the Grand Canyon Depot, built in 1910.
Williams Depot
Grand Canyon Railway departs each day from the historic Williams Depot. The depot was built in 1908 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. The depot was an oasis for travelers heading to and from California along the main line running from Los Angeles to Chicago. The depot was much more than a place to get tickets. It was home to a Harvey House Hotel, which had 43 rooms. There was also a formal dining room as well as a cafe, bar and a news room. The depot is the oldest poured-concrete structure in the state of Arizona. Today, the depot is where passengers of Grand Canyon Railway pick up their tickets. There is also an expansive gift shop in the depot full of Grand Canyon Railway and Grand Canyon mementos. Both the Williams Depot and original Fray Marcos Hotel are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Grand Canyon Depot
The northern terminus of the line resides in Grand Canyon National Park. Constructed in 1909-1910, Grand Canyon Depot is part of the Grand Canyon National Park Historic District and is a National Historic Landmark. Designed by architect Francis W. Wilson of Santa Barbara, Calif., the log and wood-frame structure is two stories high. Originally, the downstairs was designated for station facilities and the upstairs was inhabited by the station agent’s family. Today, the first floor is used for railway passenger services. The building is one of approximately 14 log depots known to have been constructed in the United States, and one of only three remaining. Of the three, the Grand Canyon Depot is the only one in which logs were used as the primary structural material and which still serves an operating railroad. The Depot’s logs are squared on three sides creating bearing surfaces, flat interior surfaces and a rustic exterior appearance. Just beyond the depot is the El Tovar Hotel, built in 1905 by the railroad. The El Tovar is the signature hotel along the rim. The railroad built the depot five years after the hotel and placed it conveniently close for the rail passengers.
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The Fred Harvey Company
Fred Harvey (1835-1901) began a partnership with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1878. .jpg)
In 1889, the Railway gave Harvey exclusive rights to manage and operate his eating houses, lunch stands, and hotel facilities upon the Santa Fe's railroads west of the Missouri River. The Harvey Houses took pride in their first class food, service, and cleanliness. At its peak, there were 84 Harvey Houses. They continued to be built and operated into the 1930s and 1940s. When Fred Harvey died (of intestinal cancer), there were 47 Harvey House restaurants, 15 hotels, and 30 dining cars operating on the Santa Fe Railway. His last words to his sons were reportedly "Don't cut the ham too thin, boys." Fred Harvey was dubbed the "Civilizer of the West."
