Created by railroad tycoon James J. Hill, the Great Northern Railway runs more than 1,700 miles (about 2,736 km) runs from St. Paul, Minnesota to Seattle, Washington. It was developed by the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in the 19th century in an effort to expand a transcontinental railroad into the Pacific Northwest. Hill was able to construct the entire railway with only private funds and without taking any land grants. Unlike other railroads, it was also able to avoid bankruptcy in the Panic of 1893.
James J. Hill
After purchasing the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, James J. Hill held a number of contests to promote financial interests in the railroad. He then merged it with the Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway and the Montana Central Railroad. Hill used promotional seed donations to help establish farms and homesteads along the early portions of the line. This caused a number of families to move near the tracks, growing the interest of investors in continuing its construction. After these initial contests, he continued the promotions using larger incentives such as farm livestock and freight.
Expansion of the Great Northern Railway
With the expanse of railroads merged, the Great Northern Railway branched as far north as the Canadian border throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana and Wisconsin. At its peak, it stretched along over 8,000 track miles. Finally, in 1893, the railway eventually crossed the continental divide through the Marias Pass and reached Seattle, Washington. The Great Northern Railway even crossed the Glacier National Park, promoting tourism to the area.
The Empire Builder
In honor of James J. Hill, Great Northern introduced the Empire Builder on June 11, 1929. This train line became a prime mover of passengers through World War II. When the war ended, the line was streamlined with diesel-powered trains. In 1951, the train line was expanded from Chicago to Spokane. Eventually, Amtrak assumed control of the line in 1971.
Modernization of the Great Northern
During the early 1930s, the Great Northern Railway developed a route from the Columbia River in Oregon to connect with the Western Pacific in Bieber, California. This allowed the railroad to deliver goods and people from the Great Lakes all the way to the Pacific Ocean. In 1970, the Great Northern became part of a merger with Northern Pacific, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Raolroad and the Spakane, Portland and Seattle Railway to form BNSF. Until 1978, the mainline of the Great Northern Railway crossed the Stone Arch Bridge, located near Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.
Jason Chavis - Jason lives and works out of Minneapolis. He is the author of four books, two movies and a play as well as numerous articles for a variety ...
Join the Conversation