In the early twentieth century, railroads provided remote communities with a vital link to the outside world. The 1883 arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad provided reliable transportation for the people of Missoula and served as a commercial boon for the town by triggering increased timber production and mining exports. Missoula quickly became a regional center for trade and the railroad depot emerged as one of the community’s most important buildings.

The Northern Pacific constructed its first depot in Missoula in conjunction with the arrival of its tracks. When that building proved inadequate, the railroad replaced it in 1901with the current depot and its Renaissance Revival styling. The Northern Pacific Depot is one of four depots in Montana built by the St. Paul, Minnesota, architectural firm Reed and Stern, whose most notable contribution to depot design can be seen in New York City’s Grand Central Station.

Missoula’s Northern Pacific Depot served rail travelers for decades, most recently as an Amtrak station until 1979 when passenger service in Missoula was suspended. Today, the depot is used as office space and remains a major feature of what locals call “ Circle Square,”  a community gathering space that is home to the Missoula Farmer’s Market every Saturday in the summer. Although the depot is no longer used by the railroad, passenger rail enthusiasts continue to lobby for the restoration of Amtrak service through Missoula, and they hope to again see the Northern Pacific Depot greet travelers on their way to Seattle or points east.

Credits and Sources:

Cohen, Stan. Missoula County Images, volume II. Missoula: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1993.

Mathews, Allan James.  “ A Guide to Historic Missoula,” Montana Mainstreets, vol. 6. Helena: Montana Historical Society, 2003.

National Park Service. “ National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, Northern Pacific Railroad Depot.”  1985.

Photographs courtesy of Archives & Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana.