Opened on February 14, 1896, Union Station is one of the oldest continuously-operated railroad passenger stations in the United States. The building was designed by the Boston/Kansas City architectural firm of Van Brunt & Howe and is owned by the Portland Development Commission.There are two glass cases of artifacts near the baggage room at Union Station that were dug up during the summer of 2003. They were found near the ground surface when earth was moved due to parking lot and street construction. These items are from a row of stores, cafes and saloons that operated from 1896-1915.
There are at least three benchmarks at Union Station. Two are located in front of the restaurant: RD0473 and one inside the train station in a storeroom behind the deli: RD0475/RD3210.
Instructions for logging waymark: A photograph is required that shows you (or your GPSr, if you are waymarking solo) and the bronze plaque as well as a photograph that shows you or your GPSr taken from the ramp of the boundary increase.
The boundary increase was along track frontage of original district boundary (added 1992). The Greyhound Bus Terminal was moved from downtown Portland to the south side of Portland Union Station. Within two years MAX light rail (free) will extend from downtown to Greyhound Bus Terminal and Portland Union Station.Besides the Union Station (Boundary Increase) there are two of the ten Portland bridges shown in the ramp photograph: the Broadway Bridge (red) and further north the Fremont Bridge. There is a great view of downtown Portland to the south. The large building is called "Big Pink." The building with the domed top is called "The Ban Roll-On Building." The tall building between the two is the Wells Fargo & Co. building. "Big Pink," the U.S. Bancorp Tower, is just a few feet shorter than the Wells Fargo & Co. building even though it has two more floors.
The opening scene in "Elizabethtown" was shot from two helicopters that few overhead--one in the scene and one filming the scene (see Portland, Oregon "Elizabethtown" waymark).
Instructions for logging waymark: A photograph is required that shows you (or your GPSr, if you are waymarking solo) and the view of the track frontage from the ramp as well as a photograph of the bronze plaque at the entrance to Union Station.