Train Depot - Helena, MT
N 46° 35.995 W 112° 00.893
12T E 422269 N 5161206
Once the gateway to Helena, serving the Northern Pacific Railroad, the Helena Depot now silently watches as helper engines link into west-bound trains preparing to make the Big Push over the Continential Divide.
Waymark Code: WM68AW
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 04/21/2009
Views: 5
M.T. Caine wrote in "Gold West Country: A Short History of Southwestern Montana," "On June 12, 1883, the eve of the Northern Pacific Railroad arriving at Helena's new depot, a reporter for the Daily Herald wrote that the railroad meant "virtual annexation to the United States." A traveler would be able to go from Helena to New York City and back again in ten days, before his neighbors noticed his absence. At a time when autumn travel between Fort Benton and Sioux City could take a full month, the impact of this event was almost unimaginable. The reporter sums up the general sentiment: "We all long for statehood, but of the two, rail connection is the greatest blessing." "
At the time, the depot sat on a site a mile and a half out of town. Helena Avenue had been surveyed and prepared, and the unused lots that had been owned by the railroad were quickly sold to the most influencial residents of the time. The area around the depot grew at a steady rate, including the Grand Pacific Hotel, the Denver Hotel, and Helena Gas Works.
By 1905, there were enough Catholic residents in the Sixth Ward (the area surrounding the depot) to warrent establishing a new Catholic parish. St. Mary's Parish was founded, and its own priest appointed in 1908. St. Mary's Church and School were built in 1910, but by 1929, many of the buildings along Helena Avenue had become dilapidated and unsightly. It was said that Helen's was the worst-looking depot area on the entire Northern Pacific line. Thus Beattie Memorial Park was created as a "beauty spot" for the enjoyment of Sixth Ward residents and to give newcomers a favorable first impression.
The 1935 earthquakes victimized some of the older depot area buildings like the Drake Hotel, formerly the Grand Pacific, which lost its upper stories. The old Capital Hotel collapsed. St. Mary's brick veneered walls were severely damaged.
Despite time and Mother Nature the Denver Hotel survives today as a pawn shop and the depot serves as Montana Rail Link offices. St. Mary's is once again a church. Beattie Memorial Park no longer greets travelers, but continues to be a pleasant place for residents and a logical extension of the depot. Railroad Avenue endures as Helena's last remaining brick street. These and a few other treasures that comprise the depot district tell the story of the coming of the railroad to the Prickly Pear Valley and what it meant to Helena.
Informatioin for this description was gathered by speaking with curators at the Montana Historical Society, as well as local residences who have lived in the area their entire lives.
Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: Yes
Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes
If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?:
The building is currently used by Montana Rail Link for rail purposes.
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: Montana Rail Link
Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]
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