Homestake Pass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Homestake Pass |
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Marker placed along the former Northern Pacific Railway’s crossing of Homestake Pass.
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| Elevation | 1,929 m (6,329 ft) |
| Traversed by |  I-90 and BNSF Railway (inactive). |
| Location | Jefferson / Silver Bow counties, Montana, US |
| Range | Rocky Mountains |
| Coordinates | 45°55.3′N 112°25.2′W / 45.9217°N 112.4200°W |
Homestake Pass is a mountain pass located in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, United States. It sits right on the Continental Divide. This means it's a high point where water flows either east towards the Atlantic Ocean or west towards the Pacific Ocean. The pass is found on the border between Jefferson County and Silver Bow County. It's about six miles south-southeast of the city of Butte. You can find it within the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest at an elevation of 6,329 feet (1,929 meters).
Homestake Pass is a very important spot for travel. It carries Interstate 90 across the Continental Divide. This makes it the highest point on this long highway, which stretches for 3,020 miles (4,861 kilometers).
Contents
Discovering Homestake Pass
Who Found Homestake Pass?
Homestake Pass was first discovered by Edwin Harrison McHenry. He was a civil engineer working for the Northern Pacific Railway. His job was to find the best route for the railway. He needed to connect the main railway line near Logan, Montana to the city of Butte.
Building the Railway Line
The railway line over Homestake Pass was built in 1889. It connected Logan to Garrison, Montana through Butte. This section became known as the Rocky Mountain Division. It was a very important route for the Northern Pacific Railway's passenger trains. Famous trains like the North Coast Limited used this scenic path. Later, Amtrak's North Coast Hiawatha also used it until 1979.
Why the Railway is Not Used Today
Today, the railway line over Homestake Pass is owned by BNSF Railway. However, it has not been used since 1983. The slopes and curves of the pass are too steep and tight for modern freight trains. These trains now use an easier route through Helena, crossing Mullan Pass. This route is operated by Montana Rail Link.
It's unlikely that the railway line over Homestake Pass will be used again. BNSF Railway has kept the line in place. This is because their original agreement with the Northern Pacific and the US Forest Service requires them to return the land to its original state if they remove the tracks. This would be a very expensive process.
Homestake Pass and Interstate 90
How Interstate 90 Uses the Pass
When Interstate 90 was planned, the state of Montana decided to use Homestake Pass. This allowed the highway to cross the Continental Divide at this location. It offered a much easier way to cross compared to the older US Route 10 route over Pipestone Pass. This made travel across Montana much smoother and faster.
Images for kids
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Marker placed along the former Northern Pacific Railway’s crossing of Homestake Pass.
