Pictured above are passengers waiting for a train at an early train station in Wyoming.
The railroad did something for many a small town along its tracks that nothing else could — it made the town matter.
A depot became the hub of that town just as it did in Laramie where hundreds of passengers passed through daily. As well, a standard railroad station received freight, express shipments, as well as combining other functions such as being the local telegraph office. The train station was the heart of Laramie and a platform for business, travel and communication.