Glasgow, MT (GGW)

Glasgow was established in 1887 by the Great Northern Railway. Exhibits at the Valley County Pioneer Museum trace the region's rich history through the lives of its residents.

424 1st Avenue South
Glasgow, MT 59230-2396

Annual Ticket Revenue (FY 2023): $395,322
Annual Station Ridership (FY 2023): 3,248

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Facility Ownership: BNSF Railway
Parking Lot Ownership: BNSF Railway
Platform Ownership: BNSF Railway
Track Ownership: BNSF Railway

Empire Builder

Alex Khalfin
Regional Contact
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The brick Glasgow depot contains a waiting room as well as offices used by BNSF Railway’s Signal and Communications department. A thick belt course runs around the upper edge of the depot, forming window hoods that provide a bit of decoration. The hipped roof is supported by heavy wood brackets; the resulting overhang protects waiting passengers from inclement weather. Terrazzo covers the waiting room floors while glazed, cream-colored tiles line the lower portion of the walls.

The depot was constructed by the Great Northern Railway (GN), considered to have been America’s premier northern trans-continental railroad, running from St. Paul, Minn. to Seattle. The GN was formed in 1889 by James J. Hill, who orchestrated the merger of the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad with the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway. Hill holds a special place in railroad history and lore, and is known as the “Empire Builder.” Whereas most transcontinental lines were built with federal assistance in the form of federal land grants, the GN did not utilize this method.

Hill’s business acumen guided the planning and construction of the GN. Much of the upper Midwest and West was sparsely settled, so instead of racing across the continent, the GN developed the regions through which it traveled as it steadily moved toward the Pacific. This action helped settle the land and created a customer base. Hill the businessman actively sought to establish trade links with Asia, and the railroad is credited with putting sleepy Seattle on the map and transforming it into an important and powerful Pacific Ocean port after the railroad reached the west coast in 1893.

The explorers Lewis and Clark visited the Glasgow area in May 8, 1805. They camped at the joining of the Milk and Missouri Rivers, which is about eighteen miles southeast of town. Glasgow was established in 1887 by the GN, which brought thousands of ranchers and farmers into Montana and shipped out the crops they grew.

Exhibits at the Valley County Pioneer Museum trace the region’s rich history through the lives of its residents. Visitors can view an Assiniboine tipi, collection of wildlife mountings, dinosaur fossils, materials related to the construction of Fort Peck Dam and railroad artifacts.