Geraldine Milwaukee Depot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geraldine
|
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Former Milwaukee Road passenger rail station | |||||||||||
Geraldine station in July 2013.
|
|||||||||||
| Location | 191 Railroad Avenue, Geraldine, Montana 59446 | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 1914 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 1955 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
Geraldine Milwaukee Depot
|
|||||||||||
 Location in Montana
Location in the United States
|
|||||||||||
| Location | Railroad Ave. Geraldine, Montana |
||||||||||
| Built | 1914 | ||||||||||
| Architect | Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad | ||||||||||
| Architectural style | Craftsman | ||||||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 97000254 | ||||||||||
| Added to NRHP | March 21, 1997 | ||||||||||
The Geraldine Milwaukee Depot was a train station built in 1914. It was part of a big railroad system called the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, also known as The Milwaukee Road. This station helped connect the town of Geraldine, Montana, to the rest of the country. It was a busy place for both people and goods.
The Geraldine Train Station
The Geraldine Milwaukee Depot was built in 1914. It was a single-story building made of wood. The station was designed in a style called Craftsman. This style often uses natural materials and simple, strong shapes.
Building the Railroad
The Milwaukee Road was a very important railroad company. It finished building its main line across the United States in 1909. This line stretched from Chicago, Illinois to Tacoma, Washington. After this, the company started building smaller lines. These smaller lines were called "branch lines."
The branch lines helped the railroad get more business. They also opened up new places for people to live and work. In 1913 and 1914, The Milwaukee Road built the North Montana Line. This line went from Harlowton, Montana to Great Falls, Montana.
New farms and towns grew along this new rail line. Geraldine was one of these new towns. It was named after the wife of William G. Rockefeller, who helped pay for the railroad.
Life of the Station
The train station in Geraldine was very important for the local farms. It was a place where farmers could send their crops to other parts of the country. Daily freight trains carried goods, and passenger trains brought people.
After World War II, fewer people traveled by train. Also, less freight was shipped by rail. Because of this, passenger train service at Geraldine ended in 1955.
In 1980, The Milwaukee Road company went out of business. It stopped running trains to the Pacific Northwest. The North Montana Line, which included Geraldine, was then bought by another company. This company was called the Burlington Northern Railroad.
In 1982, the rail line had to close because of a landslide. But in 1985, a new company bought the line. This company was called Central Montana Rail. They fixed the line and started train service again. In 1995, the Geraldine Historical Committee bought the old station building.
A Historic Building
The Geraldine Milwaukee Depot is now a special historic place. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added to this list because of its unique Craftsman style architecture. It is also important because it is one of the last Milwaukee Road stations left on the North Montana Line.
