The American railroad frenzy began on the east coast in 1827, with the founding of the first passenger and freight line in the country, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It’s hard to believe that while they laid the first stone, Montana Territory was really just beginning to be explored by white settlers and fur traders. It would take nearly fifty years for the railroad to reach the state of Montana, but when it did, towns began to pop up like magic. The presence of the iron horse meant an influx of people, supplies, and money while also allowing mines and other businesses to quickly transport their goods, turning the wheel of prosperity in the generally undeveloped state of Montana.

While many of the railroad lines were centered around the profitable copper mines in the western part of the state, smaller lines were being laid in southeastern Montana Territory as well. The Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad operated many secondary, agricultural branches and built a line right through Lodge Grass, Montana. The station opened in 1906 and quickly became the heartbeat of the young town. The town was named after the nearby Lodge Grass Creek, though there was a bit of a misinterpretation during the naming process. The Crow Indians called the stream Greasy Grass because the rich grass made their animals fat. An early interpreter mistakenly interpreted the Crow name as Lodge Grass, and it stuck.

Like other frontier towns, the arrival of the railroad was a necessary spark to Lodge Grass. Nearly everything arrived via the railroad, including the mail. By 1911, the town of Lodge Grass was platted and built parallel to the tracks. The depot quickly became a hub of the community. The first floor consisted of a waiting room, warm and cold freight rooms, and the agents office. Upstairs served as a home to the depot agent and included a living room, kitchen, and two bedrooms.

By the middle of the century, the railroad boom began to die off, and depots, especially those in smaller towns, closed leaving empty relics in their wake. The Lodge Grass Depot was abandoned before being moved to the Big Horn County Museum in 1987 and restored. It remains a valuable piece of both the railroad and Big Horn County history.