May 3, 1939: Half a million people attended the opening of Union Station, built at a cost of $11 million by the three major railroads serving Los Angeles.
The three-day celebration included pageants and a historical transportation parade made up of horsemen, mule drivers, stagecoaches, trolleys and an 1869 locomotive. People jammed into downtown "to see a dream come true right before their eyes," The Times reported.
