The City of Pendleton was consistent in its enforcement of local and state preservation legislation and in its efforts to negotiate a resolution Company concerns for public safety and corporate liability were mitigated by closing off track side doors, constructing the fence and providing insurance to protect the company from risk. Union Pacific was satisfied that its risk was reasonable and that train operations would not be adversely affected. The Umatilla County Historical Society provided a willing tenant and, with community support, took on the task of raising sufficient funds to rehabilitate the building and convert it into a museum and society office.
Railroad stations are a visible legacy of the expansion and industrialization of the United States.
Although preserving every depot is neither feasible nor desirable, it is important to recognize each as a significant resource that may have historical or architectural importance and reuse potential. Pendleton used its resources skillfully and made a compelling case to a skeptical railroad that the depot should and could be saved. Union Pacific responded with moderate, flexible conditions and, in the end, recognized the importance of the depot's preservation to the city it had served for nearly a century. Ruth Falkenberg is a preservation consultant living in Denver, Colo. where she serves as chair of the Denver Land- marks Commission. Street, Suite 700, Denver, Colo. 80202.