1883
Inaugural Run Through
Helena
Northern Pacific Rail Road - St. Paul to Portland
Regular service
began June 15, 1883.
Helena's
First Northern Pacific (Union) Depot, 1885
Still Standing in Helena at 1330 E. Lyndale
The original
Northern Pacific Depot, 1885. It was designed by noted architect
Cass Gilbert. The brick building, in the background with six
chimneys, is Theodore Welcome's Elite Saloon.
MANSFIELD
LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
The
Grand Pacific Hotel, Across Helena Ave. from the Depot
MANSFIELD
LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
MANSFIELD
LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
Edison
Footage of the Overland Express Arrving in Helena, Summer of 1897
LIBRARY
OF CONGRESS
The
Original Depot Still Stands, at 1330 E. Lyndale
From historian
Ellen Baumler's excellent book, "Historic Helena Walking
Tours", available at the Montana Historical Society:
"Circa
1903, the depot was moved to this site where it served as
the Central Presbyterian Church until 1914. During its life
as a church, the bell tower was added to the east side. From
the end of the 1920s to the mid-1930s, the Helena Rug Company
manufactured rugs there. The building now houses apartments."
1904
Northern Pacific (aka Union) Depot
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
The 1904
Northern Pacific (aka Union) Depot, designed by architect Charles
A. Reed (1858-1911), who also designed New York City's Grand
Central Terminal. From 1904 to 1913, both the Union Paciifc and Great Northern Railways used the depot, hence the "Union Depot" name. The Great Northern Depot was built downtown, 1912-13.
Union Depot Under Construction, 1903
COURTESY
OF THE CHARLES J. TIPTON COLLECTION • CLICK
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"The
Beanery" - Union Depot Lunch Room
DAVID
HULL COLLECTION
"The
Beanery" was the popular name for the Northern Pacific
lunch room, which operated at least until the 1960s. Does anyone
have a current photo of this space? If so, please let
me know.
Off
to Fight "The War to End All Wars"
Troop
train at the Northern Pacific Depot taking Montana boys off
to World War I
Farewell
to Montana Troops at the Depot, probably 1916
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
Earthquake Damage, 1935
Repairs
Underway
COURTESY
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Northern Pacific Depot from Helena Ave., 1937
THE
TED KIRKMEYER COLLECTION - COURTESY OF TOM
MULVANEY
Northern
Pacific Depot sign, 1957
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
Northern
Pacific Depot seen from N. Sanders St., 1957...
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OF KENNON BAIRD
On the right, at
1501 Railroad Ave., was Pete's Corner, a fountain and confectionary.
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Northern
Pacific Depot Clock
NP
Depot Clock Tower, 1957
Refurbished
NP Depot Clock Tower, 2007
Photo
by Jean O'Blenis
Photo
by Terry Bass
2012
Photos of the Seth Thomas Clock Mechanism, Courtesy of Darrell Beckstrom
The clock is
wound every week by an employee of Burlington Northern. There is
no bell.
The clock's
serial number is 1200, placing the manufacturing date at around
1901. It is probably a No. 15 model; compare the photos to the
1911 Seth Thomas catalog illustration below...
2012
Depot Rooftop Panorama, Looking East
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Many
thanks to Darrell Beckstrom for sharing his great clock tower photos!
Thomas
E. Dewey at the Union Depot, 1948
COURTESY
OF MIKE MILLEGAN
1948 Republican
Presidential candidate Thomas
E. Dewey at Union Depot, Sept. 29, 1948. Standiing on
Dewey's right is Montana Governor Sam C. Ford. The man standing
behind Dewey, wearing pinstripes and a large campaign button,
is Sidney Millegan, chairman of the Lewis & Clark Country
Republican Central Committee.
Dewey's
special campaign train of 17 cars stopped in Helena enroute
from Missoula to Great Falls. He rode in a parade through
downtown, then spoke at Hill Park.
This from
the Independent Record:
"As
the Dewey car led the parade south on Helena avenue and into
Main street, two jeeploads of photographers cruised alongside
and slightly ahead of the Dewey car. Following the lead of
the parade was a car in which Gov. and Mrs. Sam C. Ford were
seated, and that was followed first by a car containing United
States Senator and Mrs. Zales N. Eaton and then by more than
a dozen cars filled with newsmen and party workers.
Hundreds of Helena residents lined the streets to see the
candidate as the parade proceeded
down the city's Main street then back, to the Main and Lawrence
intersection, where the parade swung west on Lawrence and
then east on Park to the Hill park stand prepared for the
speakers."
Northern
Pacific Roundhouse and Shops, About 1920
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The
Depot and Section House at Birdseye
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This view
looks east-northeast from the hills south of the railroad tracks
at Birdseye, about seven miles northwest of Helena, as the crow
flies. The larger building in the foreground is lhe Birdseye
depot; the section house can be seen in the distance, on the
right-hand side of the photo. Here is an enlarged view of the
section house...
Railroad
history buff Dan Stinson writes about these structures:
"The depot has a signal to stop trains to take orders and
a telegraph bay where information regarding train movements
and orders for passing trains could be transmitted to and from
the dispatcher's office and hooped up to those trains. That
structure was almost identical to the depot at Austin, near
the Austin schoolhouse, which was torn down in the '80s if I
remember correctly.
The larger structure [section house] has living accommodations,
and it's possible the telegrapher (I hesitate to call them an
agent as there was likely very little cash business transacted)
lived there, but it was not where he worked."
Two Views of the Birdseye Section House, circa 1905
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A special
Northern Pacific train in Marysville, MT, July 4, 1900. It's
possible that this special train was going to Helena for the
day's festivities.
Two
circa 1903 Views of the Marysville Trestle Photographer Unknown
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Marysville
Depot, 1910
Saw
Mill Canyon
Trestle
in Saw Mill Canyon, near Marysville, Montana, ca. 1897. The
photograph is by Charles E. Morris, a noted early Montana
photographer who published postcards in Chinook and Great
Falls.
The postcard
was published by William H. Murgittroyd (1867-1946), who operated
a drug store in Marysville from 1895 to 1900. He moved to
Spokane in 1900, and by 1915 had established Murgittroyd's
Pharmacy, which became a Spokane landmark. For more about
Mr. Murgittroyd, click
here.
Old
Northern Pacific Workhorses, Photographed in Helena
Northern Pacific
locomotive No. 23,1952.
Northern Pacific
locomotive No. 31, 1955.
Helena's
Great Northern Depot
1913 - 1989
1920s postcard
view of the Great Northern Railway Depot. Constructed in 1912-13,
the G.N. Depot was located at the intersection of Neil Avenue
and Fuller, across the street from Hill and Women's parks. The
tower was damaged by the 1935 earthquakes and removed. The Great
Northern vacated the building in 1955, after which it housed
various offices. It was demolished to make way for the current
Federal Reserve Bank Branch building in 1989.
Site
of the Great Northern Depot
Great
Northern Depot from Fuller Ave., ca. 1915
KENNON
BAIRD COLLECTION
North
Side of the Great Northern Depot, ca. 1915
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BAIRD
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North
Side of the Great Northern Depot, ca. 1930
THE
DAVID POOR COLLECTION
Great
Northern Baldwin H-2 Class Locomotive No. 1429
c. 1930
JORUD PHOTO FROM THE KENNON
BAIRD COLLECTION
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Great
Northern Depot, before 1935, from Women's Park
