Harlowton's present Milwaukee Road (officially known as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad) Depot is actually its second depot, the first sawed into three pieces and moved to another town. This depot was its replacement. Harlowton was made a division point, with switching yards and an engine roundhouse and workshops, meaning that they expected sufficient passenger traffic through the town that the original depot would prove unable to handle the traffic.
The plan for the Harlowton depot dates to a 24' x 60' pattern developed in 1902 that was modified in 1906 to become the "Standard Class A Passenger Station Plan." A single story, wood frame building on a concrete foundation measuring 24' by 188', the building was originally 24' x 165' and a hipped roof addition to house the yard master's office was constructed on the west end in 1944. The depot was closed in 1961 and abandoned by the Milwaukee Road in 1980. Shortly after, Harlowton residents began a crusade to save the depot and as much of the yards and outbuildings as they could. They managed to get the site listed on the National Register as the
Milwaukee Road Historic District in 1988 while turning the site into the present museum.
As well as the depot, the museum consists primarily of several pieces of rolling stock, a couple of speeders, a truly unique little electric switching engine which ran off an extension cord and a collection of farm machinery where the railway yard once stood. We can't say what treasures the depot itself holds, as the museum was closed the day we passed by and their website is presently under construction, with no available information.
The Harlowton Milwaukee Depot Museum was built in 1908, it was a "Standard Class A Passenger Station", one of several standardized depot plans used by the Milwaukee Road. The passenger Service was discontinued in 1961, and the depot and yards were abandoned by the Milwaukee in 1980. The depot was restored as a Milwaukee and Railroad museum and is opened to the public for their enjoyment.
From Visit Montana