Rail Service In Wolf Point

Rapid railroad expansion and a booming agricultural economy dictated the establishment of Wolf Point as a Great Northern division point in 1917. Land was purchased north of the tracks and a 25-stall roundhouse was erected to service the giant steam locomotives, including a machine shop, ice house, numerous offices & storage buildings. (This site is now being considered as the future location of the Wolf Point Cowboy Hall of Fame/Museum.) A 42-room hotel with a large dining hall (Great Northern Hotel, known to all as the “Beanery”) was built nearby to house “layover” personnel and was not open to the public. Many new north side homes were constructed by the company to house permanent railroad families. An additional office building was put up near the depot to provide offices for clerks and dispatchers. When the division point was discontinued in 1925, the Roosevelt County Courthouse was established in this building. Inevitably, the old gave away to the new and 1963 saw the construction of a brand new modernistic depot building constructed in Wolf Point. The old building was sold and moved away.

In 1991, the City of Wolf Point received a $5,000 grant from Burlington Northern to erect a “Welcome to Wolf Point” sign for travelers arriving to Wolf Point on the train. The five (5) flag poles fly the American flag, the State of Montana flag, a DARE flag and an unofficial Wolf Point flag that was designed by Marvin Presser, a local historian. A plaque was placed at the base of the flag display providing the history of BN and its importance to Wolf Point. The Wolf Point Beautification Committee plants flowers in the pots every spring. It provides a very pleasant and inviting “Welcome” for travelers planning to stay or on their way to other destinations.