A city streetcar (left) headed downtown on Lyon street and a southbound Oregon Electric train on Fifth street (right) meet at the Albany depot.
A handsome red brick depot erected by the Oregon Electric Railway Company at the northeast corner of Lyon Street and Fifth Avenue (upon which the lines of the company ran). Construction began in late June 1912, and a small temporary shelter was provided for passengers until it was finished. The completed depot opened for business on Christmas Day, 1912.
Passenger service at the depot ended on Monday, December 8, 1929 and the Fifth-street line was abandoned due to prohibitive repaving costs. The track would seem to have been covered over rather than removed, as it is still discernible outside the depot today. All traffic then went via the Water-street freight line, and the depot at Water and Jackson was modified to provide some accommodations for passengers. The trolley wire along Fifth Street was removed on January 20, 1931 and the passenger depot was sold.
Oregon Electric Authorization for Expense (AFE) E-2088, dated March 21, 1931 states, “Sell depot and grounds. On account of the abandonment of Fifth Street line, the old passenger station is no longer needed. The offer of the Associated Veterans of Linn County for the purchase of the depot and grounds has been accepted.” The Albany Veterans’ Memorial Hall was dedicated to its new purpose on Memorial Day (May 30), 1931.
The building still exists to the present day, until recently serving as a pizza parlor. As of late 2025, it is being carefully restored for use as an upscale restaurant.
The interior of the Albany depot when it was new in December 1912. The footing for the ticket seller’s window to the right was recently rediscovered during renovation works.
| Important Dates: | July 4, 1912 – Temporary shelter opens as passenger service begins. December 25, 1912 – Depot opens for business. December 8, 1929 – Passenger service to the depot ends as the Fifth street line is abandoned. March 1931 – Depot sold to the Associated Veterans of Linn County. May 30, 1931 (Memorial Day) – Rededication as the Albany Memorial Hall. | | --- | --- | | Operating Companies: | ‣ | | Lines Served: | ‣ |