While the railroad depots east of the Mississippi River were built along often previously established communities, west of the Mississippi, the expansion of the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Great Northern Railroad were far more speculative. Communities west of the Mississippi were often arising after the depots and lines had been laid, which delayed profits for the railroad companies. The Eastern side of North Dakota cannot be viewed as all that speculative, as much of it responded to the need of North Dakota’s first boom. But what industry created the first boom in North Dakota? Agriculture, of course. Bonanza farms and communities in the Red River Valley needed a way to transport their wheat, and so, the great railroads responded to that need, transporting it to mills in Minneapolis, and from there often north to the ports in Duluth to reach other eastern markets. In fact, this productive mode of transportation and the rich farm lands led to Minneapolis becoming “the leading flour milling center of the world.”

The depot built here in Bismarck, however, was a speculative venture, though it would appear that speculation did not create constraints on its style. The Spanish mission-style architecture was not at all common on the Northern Plains. It was completed in 1901, and at a cost of $33,601. It replaced the previous wood-framed freight depot, which had been built in the 1870’s and destroyed by the infamous 1898 Bismarck fire. The new depot was designed by the nationally known architectural firm Charles Reed and Allan Stem of St. Paul, and in turn, it garnered national attention. The St. Paul Globe boasted of their plans saying, “It would be one of the finest depots and freight offices on the Northern Pacific system, and one that all the people of Bismarck would admire.”

The National Register of Historic Places notes the Northern Pacific Depot’s Spanish mission-style architecture, which “featured a center façade flanked by towers that were originally domed, and later replaced in 1954 by simple peaked tile roofs.” The grounds between 4th and 5th street were originally fenced, well manicured, and offered a park-like atmosphere to the travelers and locals.

In 1916, the thriving Northern Pacific Depot served 24 passengers daily. But by 1950, the passenger railroad industry declined nationwide. The Railway Express Agency, which operated out of the west end of the Bismarck Depot was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1975 and closed their doors.