Ogden, UT - Looking through time.

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Moab Man

Senior Member
Out here in the west we have a lot of really cool old (by American standards) buildings and history. Ogden, UT is one of my favorites as it blends old with new. I went for a walk-about to capture some of the old paint on the buildings and show everyone this pioneer town.

The old buildings in this area are from 1870-1920, but you will find a beautiful blend with the modern. Please enjoy the tour as the overcast day allowed me to capture the buildings without harsh shadows.

This is historic 25th Street. The buildings up and down this street have been carefully preserved and cared for by the community and business owners. At the end of the street is the Union Station train station, but I will visit that on another day.

MainstreetUnionStation.jpg


Baseball in the park. Lots of little statues around.

Baseball.jpg


Old Paint - "Lee Riders Authentic Cowboy Pants" (Colors manipulated to show the paint on the close-up)

LeeJeans.jpgLeeJeansClose.jpg

More to follow. If you enjoyed this please leave feedback.
 
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crycocyon

Senior Member
Yep, passed through there since I used to live in Salt Lake City, although I hadn't seen the downtown area so thanks for sharing!
 
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Sandpatch

Senior Member
Really nice shots Moab Man. Utah is one of many western states that I hope to visit someday. I love the old painted billboards. I shot this one in Radford, VA last week.2013-04-02 Radford VA Sign - upload.jpg
 
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Moab Man

Senior Member
Continuing this virtual Ogden tour.

Here is a picture from the good old day when a nickel bought you something - a Coke, and the smile was complimentary.
(Close up manipulated to enhance what is left of the paint)

CocaCola.jpgCocaColaClose.jpg


If you desired something a little harder, just down the road was Pabst for a nickel a glass.

Pabst.jpg

If you like this virtual tour of a pioneer town please leave feedback.
 
M

Moab Man

Senior Member
Continuing this virtual Ogden tour.

Many of the stores of this time frame, 1870-1920, were very tiny. However, I'm not sure how you fit a movie theater in one where the building is only about as wide as three to four doors.

Cinema.jpg


Drink Beer - This one is not too visible anymore, but it read "Drink Beer."

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Drink Zang's is the banner across the top and Soft Drinks is on the corner. Manipulated colors to make the old "Soft Drinks" script pop out on the corner edge of the building.

DrinkZangs.jpgDringZangsCorner.jpg

If you like the tour please leave comments.
 
M

Moab Man

Senior Member
Lunch Time

Decided to have some lunch at the Athenian. A Greek restaurant residing in one of the old buildings. However, the overhead crown of the historic building tells of an ice cream parlor.

Crown.jpg


The view from inside out into the street. Love the inset doorways.

Athenian.jpg


Lunch

Lunch.jpg


And now for the legend of Ogden - Every old west town has their legends. While not that exciting, supposedly all these old buildings were connected by underground tunnels. Some old timers say that they have been in the tunnels and know them to be true. There are walled up doorways in some of the basements, but to my knowledge has not been explored. So as I look over at the table next to me my eyes drift down to the hatch in the floor and wonder. Hmmm?

SecretHatch.jpg
 
M

Moab Man

Senior Member
Forgotten lunchtime photo.

Can't say what it was but the bathroom walls were all 1870-1920 brick and for some reason I found it funny to find this toilet paper roll attached to the wall.

ToiletPaper.jpg
 
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Moab Man

Senior Member
A little modern paint showing the towns connection to its wild west days - Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo.

OgdenDays.jpg


Utah is well known for the Mormon settlers that headed west and settled here, but they weren't the only ones. Here is an Episcopal Church from (finished) 1875. Steeple and courtyard.

Episcopol.jpgEpiscopolCourt.jpg


Cubism, or maybe it's not, but I liked all the cubes in this picture.

Cubes.jpg
 
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piperbarb

Senior Member
We have towns here in upstate NY that look very similar, including the painted advertising on the outside wall of buildings. Thanks for sharing. This is a part of history that may get forgotten someday because people do not see anything "special" about the buildings. It says a lot about the era in which they were built. I am enjoying them.
 
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Sandpatch

Senior Member
Tracsoft - Don Kuykendall said:
Here in the deep south especially in the small towns we have many of these old painted old buildings. I guess I should start shooting them.
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Just across the river from you in Montgomery, AL there is/was an old and large Wrigley's gum ad painted on the side of a building near Union Station, maybe off Commerce Street. I last saw it perhaps 20 years ago. Someone told me that it's the largest one remaining. You've probably seen it.
 
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Sandpatch

Senior Member
piperbarb said:
... This is a part of history that may get forgotten someday because people do not see anything "special" about the buildings. It says a lot about the era in which they were built. I am enjoying them.
Click to expand...

Agreed! Back then structures were built to last and often contained the company name permanently emblazoned on the front. Banks, railroad depots and retailers were respected centers of the community and known by generations. Quite a bit different from the Styrofoam and stucco strip centers seen everywhere today. Sigh.
 
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