Story Of Desertion
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 46° 25.864 W 109° 49.793
12T E 589898 N 5142608
Harlowton's second railway depot, this 1908 railway station is now the focal point of the Milwaukee Depot Museum, a museum of Milwaukee Road history.
Waymark Code: WM107T5
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 03/16/2019
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Alfouine
Views: 0

Harlowton's present Milwaukee 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.

Back in 1910, when the depot was still shiny and new, a bit of a "Ghost Story" occurred in the building. It is actually a sad story, but ended much better than it could have. Details, from the Harlowton News, follow.
STORY OF DESERTION
The Harlowton News., February 11, 1910
The Anaconda Standard tells the story of the desertion of the little baby boy, who was found in the depot last Saturday night, in graphic manner. The following is the account given in the Standard.

The Milwaukee depot at Harlowton is haunted. If you don't believe it just ask "Pooh," the colored porter of the Murphey eating house at that place. He will tell you-and tell you honestly-how he saw a ghost in the station Saturday night just as it was getting dark.

The ghost moved. It was over in one corner, and he saw the white clothes moving and then he heard the little cry that could only come from a ghost. As soon as he saw the apparition he backed out of the waiting room and made a bee line for the quickest way out of there. He met several of the townspeople and told them what he had seen. They laughed at him, but it was no laughing matter to him. He was positive and he told them to go see for themselves. As for him he didn't have any desire to investigate.

His hearers with that natural curiosity to see what it was that had so started the colored man went up to the station to investigate. Sure enough over in one dark corner of the ladies waiting room of the station was "Pooh's" ghost. It was there all right, wrapped up in white clothes and able to cry out loud. It was a 2-months-old babe and was just as cute as it could be.

Evidently the mother had deserted it in the hope that it would fall into the hands of some good family. The child was warmly wrapped up and had apparently been left there shortly after 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
From the Harlowton News
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Type of publication: Newspaper

When was the article reported?: 02/11/1910

Publication: Harlowton News

Article Url: [Web Link]

Is Registration Required?: no

How widespread was the article reported?: local

News Category: Society/People

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