In the early 1900s this area was busy with officials of the Great Northern, the Northern Pacific and the Soo Line railroad companies roaming the area. The Great Northern had approved plans that called for two lift span bridges over two major rivers (the Missouri and the Yellowstone) and a 1,500 foot-long tunnel east of the proposed Yellowstone Bridge. Other plans called for an excellent railroad grade eastward via Madsen Flat (later called Watford City), with a crossing over the Little Missouri with a second tunnel, and then proceeding on to New Rockford. In addition, there were plans to go west from Newlon Junction (near Sidney) to Fox Lake and Richey.

The Great Northern Company, founded by Jim Hill, was unique in that it was built with private investment funds, without the assistance of land grants or any other financial assistance.

GN track laying commenced five miles west of Minot, N.D., on April 1887 and was completed in Helena the same year–a distance of 643 miles averaging 3 and a quarter miles each working day. After completion of the main line Pacific extension, Mr. Hill began building branch lines to bring goods to the main line, and he built many in North Dakota and Montana.

Building the Fairview railroad depot.

With the railroad’s arrival around 1912, the freight agent and telegrapher at the Fairview station was Robert N. Worden. He was an excellent freight rate man, and the office in St. Paul would call him to confirm certain freight rates.

The telegraph at the Depot was used for many things, according to Robert Worden Jr., Robert’s son: “I remember Dad mentioning one of the presidential elections around 1923 when the town depended on him to get the election results. It was the election when Coolidge was elected. He would go to the depot and get the returns and people would gather to get last-minute results.”

The depot also reported on boxing matches, ballgames and also death notices, especially from the military.

The 1925 edition of the Fairview News recounts R.N. Worden has a new assistant, F.B. Leach from Havre. To his co-workers on the railroad he was known as “Red.” When the Fairview station closed in 1988, his son Arthur Leach was working as the last station agent.

In 1947 Norman Wangerud saw an opening on the GN bulletin for a telegrapher in Fairview. Norman had seen the valley before during an inspection trip over the Watford City line. “I remember I thought the valley was beautiful when I came over the hill west of Cartwright.” He recalls, “I got a room at the Albert Hotel and had a steak at Kay’s Café, then an after-dinner drink with Pump House Louis. This bar was Martin and Pettibones.’ ” Loving the Fariview area, Norman sent in his bid for the job and got it.

Norman was born in Williston, N.D., on Dec. 11, 1921, the first child of Norwegian immigrant parents who homesteaded near White Earth, N.D. In the summertime he worked on the railroad extra gang, and in the winter hung around the depot and practiced telegraphy. When he felt he was good enough, he went to Minot and passed his wire test.

Norm describes a typical day at the Fairview Depot. The first order of business was a yard check. This was completed by the first employee on duty. Every railcar in town had to be recorded and checked to see the door seals were intact. He carried a yard check book with him to record information.When he returned to the depot, the information was transferred to another form and mailed to the chief dispatcher.

Then there was the time signal when all employees who handled train orders, telegraphers and train men, must check their watches. In addition to the time signal, Fairview had a Howard weight-driven clock so operating employees could set their watches. The operator on duty at the station kept a record of the clock’s performance and reset it when necessary.

Another duty was to get orders for the Goose. The train came from Williston about 8 a.m. From Fairview, the Goose went to Sidney, came back to Fairview, traveled to Watford City, then back to Sidney and on to Richey. After Richey, the Goose traveled back to Williston, leaving Fairview a little after 4 p.m.

The last days of Fairview’s railroad were a long time coming. Burlington Northern sought permission from the Interstate Commerce Commission to close the station. The depot building, which was 120-feet long, was finally put up for sale for $1,000, with the condition that it had to be removed from the right of way. The first man to buy it was a railroad man from Glendive. He started to remove the shingles but gave up on it. The next people who bought it were from McKenzie County. They cut it up in sections with chain saws and hauled it away. The final Fairview station was closed May 11, 1988.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Information compiled from Courage Enough and the Fairview Times.