Great Northern Railway

The Great Northern Railway was an American Class I railroad created under the direction of James J. Hill and operated from 1889 until 1970. Its principal system connected Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, with Seattle and other Pacific Northwest destinations, forming the northernmost transcontinental railroad in the United States. The company also maintained important branches to Duluth and Superior, the Minnesota iron ranges, Montana mining districts, North Dakota agricultural areas, and destinations in Washington and British Columbia. The railway developed from the financially troubled Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad. In 1878, Hill and a group of investors including John S. Kennedy, Norman Kittson, Donald Smith, and George Stephen obtained control of the predecessor system. Hill subsequently reorganized and extended the network, and in September 1889 changed the name of the Minneapolis and St. Cloud Railway to Great Northern Railway. A consolidation completed in 1890 brought the Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway, Montana Central Railway, and related lines into the new system. Rather than relying on a large federal land grant, the Great Northern generally acquired land from the government and promoted settlement along its lines. Its agencies in Europe encouraged German and Scandinavian immigration to the agricultural districts of North Dakota and Montana. The company used colonist cars and promotional assistance, including support with seed and livestock, to attract farmers and expand traffic. These efforts helped create new communities and strengthened the railway's freight base. Construction proceeded in stages. The main route moved west from the Twin Cities through North Dakota and Montana, crossed the Rocky Mountains at Marias Pass, followed routes through Idaho and eastern Washington, crossed the Cascades through Stevens Pass, and reached Seattle in 1893. Engineer John Frank Stevens played a particularly important role in surveying Marias Pass and Stevens Pass and in establishing routes and construction standards. The railroad also served mining and industrial traffic, including large-scale shipments of Mesabi iron ore to Midwestern steel centers after Hill acquired interests in the range and its connecting rail lines. The Great Northern made tourism part of its commercial strategy. It promoted Glacier National Park, whose southern boundary followed the railway's transcontinental route, and built stations, lodges, and other visitor facilities near park entrances. The company's Rocky Mountain goat emblem became one of the most recognizable railroad marks in the United States. Passenger services included the Empire Builder, introduced in 1929 and named for James J. Hill, as well as numerous regional and long-distance trains. The company also expanded southward through the Inside Gateway, established in 1931 with the Western Pacific and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroads to compete with Southern Pacific for Pacific Northwest–California traffic. Great Northern branches in British Columbia connected the Seattle region with New Westminster, Vancouver, and ferry services toward Vancouver Island, although those operations faced strong competition from Northern Pacific and Canadian Pacific interests. Great Northern participated in wartime railroad support during World War II, including sponsorship of United States Army railway units staffed in part by its employees. By the late 1960s, its routes were affected by major infrastructure changes, including relocation connected with Libby Dam and construction of the Flathead Tunnel. On March 2, 1970, Great Northern merged with Northern Pacific Railway, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, and Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway to create Burlington Northern Railroad. Burlington Northern later merged with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1996, creating BNSF Railway. Although the original company is defunct, many of its routes remain in service, and portions of its infrastructure survive as stations, trails, bridges, and preserved railway sites.

The Great Northern Railway emerged from the reconstruction of the Saint Paul and Pacific system, a small railroad that had encountered financial difficulties. In 1878, James J. Hill and a consortium of investors secured control of the railroad and began developing it as the foundation of a larger northern transportation network. Hill's approach emphasized building profitable segments first and extending westward as traffic and settlement justified further construction. In 1889, the Minneapolis and St. Cloud Railway was renamed Great Northern Railway, and a 1890 consolidation incorporated the principal Hill-controlled predecessor lines. The company expanded across Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. Its route crossed the Rocky Mountains at Marias Pass and the Cascade Mountains at Stevens Pass, reaching Seattle in 1893. John Frank Stevens, the company's chief engineer from 1889 to 1903, was central to the selection and development of these mountain crossings. The railway's mainline connected the Twin Cities with the Pacific Northwest, while branches served Duluth and Superior, the Mesabi iron range, Montana copper districts, and agricultural settlements across the northern plains. Great Northern's commercial development included an unusually active settlement program. Unlike many western railroads, it did not depend on a major federal land grant. It acquired land and resold parcels to settlers, while agencies in Germany and Scandinavia promoted migration. Colonist trains, agricultural assistance, and promotional contests encouraged newcomers to farm along the railway. This generated both land-sale activity and long-term freight demand in regions that were still sparsely populated. Mining became another major foundation of the business. After Hill acquired control of significant Mesabi Range interests and related rail lines in 1898, Great Northern handled growing volumes of iron ore bound for Midwestern steel production. The railroad also transported grain, livestock, lumber, manufactured goods, and other commodities. Its shops in Saint Paul, Saint Cloud, and Hillyard, Washington supported locomotive, passenger-car, and freight-car maintenance; Hillyard also became an important western operating center. The company developed a substantial passenger identity. Its named trains linked cities throughout the system, while the Empire Builder became its premier service. Great Northern marketed Glacier National Park aggressively, constructing distinctive stations, lodges, and inns and presenting the route as a gateway to scenic travel. The Rocky Mountain goat emblem, later associated with the name Rocky, reinforced the railroad's western and mountain imagery. The network extended into British Columbia through branch lines and connections serving New Westminster and Vancouver, with ferry links toward Vancouver Island. Great Northern also participated in the Inside Gateway, a 1931 cooperative route with Western Pacific and Santa Fe that competed with Southern Pacific for California traffic. During World War II, the railway supported military railway operations through sponsored Army units and personnel drawn from its workforce. In the late 1960s, portions of the route were relocated because of Libby Dam construction. The new alignment included the Flathead Tunnel and opened in 1970. That same year, Great Northern ceased to exist as an independent company when it merged with three affiliated railroads to form Burlington Northern. Burlington Northern remained an important North American railroad until its 1996 combination with Santa Fe, creating BNSF Railway. Former Great Northern routes continue to carry freight and passenger trains, while other right-of-way segments have become trails or preserved heritage sites.

• 1970

  Burlington Northern merger

  [1]Great Northern Railway (U.S.)en.wikipedia.org

  Great Northern merged with Northern Pacific, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, and Spokane, Portland and Seattle to form Burlington Northern Railroad.

• 1931

  Inside Gateway route established

  [1]Great Northern Railway (U.S.)en.wikipedia.org

  Great Northern joined Western Pacific and Santa Fe in a competitive Pacific Northwest–California route.

• 1929

  Empire Builder introduced

  [1]Great Northern Railway (U.S.)en.wikipedia.org

  The railway introduced its best-known named passenger train, connecting the Midwest with the Pacific Northwest.

• 1898

  Mesabi iron traffic expands

  [1]Great Northern Railway (U.S.)en.wikipedia.org

  Hill acquired control of important Mesabi Range interests and associated rail lines, supporting large-scale iron ore shipments.

• 1893

  Transcontinental route reaches Seattle

  [1]Great Northern Railway (U.S.)en.wikipedia.org

  Completion of the western mainline established Great Northern as the northernmost United States transcontinental railroad.

• 1890

  Major predecessor lines consolidated

  [1]Great Northern Railway (U.S.)en.wikipedia.org

  The Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba, Montana Central, and related lines were consolidated under the Great Northern system.

• 1889

  Great Northern Railway name adopted

  [1]Great Northern Railway (U.S.)en.wikipedia.org

  Hill renamed the Minneapolis and St. Cloud Railway as the Great Northern Railway.

• 1878

  Hill investment group gains control of the Saint Paul and Pacific

  [1]Great Northern Railway (U.S.)en.wikipedia.org

  James J. Hill and his investment partners obtained control of the financially troubled predecessor railway, creating the basis for later Great Northern expansion.

A northern transcontinental railroad positioned around efficient long-distance freight movement, settlement development, access to western natural resources, and scenic passenger travel. Its identity combined industrial transportation with strong regional and tourism promotion, particularly around Glacier National Park.

• Rail freight · 1889

  Freight rail network

  Great Northern's core business was freight transportation across a northern transcontinental system. It moved agricultural products from the plains, iron ore from Minnesota, copper and other minerals from the West, lumber, livestock, manufactured goods, and general merchandise. Branches and connecting routes extended the network toward industrial centers, ports, and Canadian destinations.

• Passenger rail · 1929

  Empire Builder

  Introduced in 1929, the Empire Builder was Great Northern's premier long-distance passenger train. It honored James J. Hill and linked Chicago and Saint Paul with Seattle and Portland through the northern transcontinental corridor. Amtrak later retained the name and continues to operate a service using much of the former Great Northern route.

• Tourism and passenger travel

  Glacier National Park services

  Great Northern promoted Glacier National Park as a destination along its mainline. The company built stations near park entrances and supported lodges, inns, and other visitor facilities. These assets connected scenic tourism with passenger demand and became part of the railway's enduring cultural and architectural legacy.

• Interline freight route · 1931

  Inside Gateway

  The Inside Gateway was a cooperative route developed with Western Pacific and Santa Fe in 1931. It provided a more inland connection from the Pacific Northwest toward California and challenged Southern Pacific's established position in regional traffic. The route combined Great Northern's northern lines with partner railroads farther south.

• Settlement and agricultural promotion

  North Dakota · Montana · Germany · Scandinavia · Eastern United States

  Great Northern promoted immigration and settlement along its routes through European agencies, colonist cars, land sales, and practical assistance for new farmers. Promotional contests and incentives involving crops, livestock, and freight production helped publicize the agricultural potential of the railway's territory.

  Outcome. The program contributed to population growth and agricultural traffic in the northern plains, strengthening the economic base of the railroad.

  Source
• Glacier National Park tourism promotion

  United States · Canada

  The railway marketed Glacier National Park as a scenic destination accessible by its transcontinental route and built stations, lodges, and visitor facilities near the park.

  Outcome. The campaign linked Great Northern's brand with mountain travel and helped establish a lasting tourism identity around the route.

  Source

• 1970

  Merge into Burlington NorthernM&A

  Background

  Great Northern and several closely connected railroads sought a larger integrated system covering major western and central United States corridors.

  Action taken

  Great Northern merged with Northern Pacific, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, and Spokane, Portland and Seattle.

  Aftermath

  The independent Great Northern Railway ended, and its routes became part of Burlington Northern and later BNSF Railway.

  Source

• 1931

  Create the Inside GatewayStrategy

  Background

  Southern Pacific had a strong position in traffic between California and the Pacific Northwest.

  Action taken

  Great Northern worked with Western Pacific and Santa Fe to establish an inland competing route.

  Aftermath

  The partnership gave Great Northern access to a broader California-oriented traffic corridor without building the entire route alone.

  Source

• 1890

  Consolidate the northern rail systemStrategy

  Background

  Hill's organization controlled several predecessor railways that were more useful as an integrated network than as separate companies.

  Action taken

  The company consolidated the Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba, Montana Central, and related lines under the Great Northern system.

  Aftermath

  The consolidation provided the organizational base for the transcontinental route and expanded regional freight coverage.

  Source

1. 1Great Northern Railway (U.S.)en.wikipedia.org