The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad built a spur line north from Lewistown in 1913. The spur split at Roy Junction (now Hilger), with one line continuing north to Winifred and this spur turning east and terminating at Roy. We have to assume that the depot was built at about that time, in about 1913. At one time along with the depot was a water tank, locomotive coaling tower and livestock pens and loading chutes. The spur was abandoned, according to the Montana Historical Society, in the early 1980s, about the time the Milwaukee Road's self induced financial troubles were coming to a head.
Another source states that the tracks on this spur were pulled out in 1973. We would tend to agree with this estimate, as opposed to the 1980s.
EDIT - A further source,
Heritage Book of the Original Fergus County Area, Page 303, states that the last train out of Roy, which pulled up the tracks, left Roy on July 10, 1972.
It seems that the depot, after abandonment, has never been reused or repurposed.
This line was built as a "low cost", low traffic and low speed line, segments of track being laid directly on newly levelled ground, without the use of a subgrade or ballast. While the track right of way is completely overgrown and not really visible at ground level, an overhead view clearly shows the
old right of way to the west of the depot, just north of Highway 191. The tracks passed immediately north of the depot and ended in a wye just east of the depot.
The line from Roy-Winifred Junction to Winifred was constructed and laid with 60 lb rail in 1913 as was the branch line from Roy Junction to Roy. Historically, from south to north, Lewistown, Baxter, Brooks, Hilger. Moulton, Christina, Suffolk and Winifred were the towns and railroad sidings serviced by the Roy-Winifred Junction to Winifred line (Board of Railroad Commissioners 1941). Total length of this line is ca. 69, 510 (43.19 miles). Towns and railroad sidings between Roy Junction and Roy, from west to east, were Armells, Fergus and Roy. Total length of this line is ca. 33, 520 (20.83 miles). Car weight restrictions were set at 220,000 lbs, and speed restriction was set at 10 mph. These lines were abandoned and salvaged in the early 1980s, so no information concerning the grade or the number of associated structures along these lines could be identified.
The branch line to Roy begins at an elevation of ca. 3890 ft (1186 m) ASL at the Roy Junction. From there the line gradually rises to it high point of 4000 ft (1219 m) ASL ca. 12 miles west of Roy and gradually looses elevation at it lowest point of ca. 3500 ft (1067 m) ASL at Roy.
From the Montana Historical Society