EXTRA! Montana Newspaper Stories 1864-1922: The Railroad Arrives!

The first rail line into Montana, the Utah & Northern Railroad over Monida Pass to Butte, was completed in 1881. Together with the completion of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1883, it heralded a new day of transportation for both people and goods. The Federal government greatly aided the railroads by awarding them tracts of land along the expected routes. The railways connected Montana towns with each other and with the rest of the nation, and they facilitated the expansion of mining and manufacturing.

Key dates

1864—The Pacific Railroad Act of 1864 charters construction of a Northern Pacific link from Lake Superior to the Pacific Coast.
1881—The Utah & Northern Railroad drives its first train into Butte, successfully linking Montana with the transcontinental line in northern Utah.
1883—A ceremony at Gold Creek, Montana Territory, commemorates the completion of the Northern Pacific Railway. Former President Ulysses S. Grant attends.

From the newspapers

• Northern Pacific Railroad, The Montana Post, November 04, 1865, p. 1.
• The Northern Pacific R. R., The New North-west, January 08, 1875, p. 1.
• Transportation Via N.P.R.R. and Missouri River, Helena Weekly Herald, March 25, 1875, p. 4.
• The Railroad, Helena Weekly Herald, January 27, 1876, p. 1.
• Railroad,The Benton Record, March 25, 1876, p. 1.
• Utah & Northern Railroad, Helena Weekly Herald, October 10, 1878, p. 4.
• The Utah & Northern railroad, The River Press, June 29, 1881, p. 1.
• Railroad Monopoly, The River Press, January 25, 1882, p. 4.
• Grand Excursion, Helena Weekly Herald, August 30, 1883, p. 5.
• The Railroad Celebration, Helena Weekly Herald, September 13, 1883, pp. 4-5.

To find more

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