East Side Historic Walking Tour
Explore Glendive's past with a walk through the historic neighborhood east of the railroad tracks.
Distance: 1.1 miles
Trail Condition: Mostly paved and flat; sidewalks available along most of the route.
The development of the east side of Glendive, east of the old Northern Pacific roundhouse and railroad tracks, was a dynamic and varied display of the many different people who were following the railroad and homesteading in the area. Thomas Kean, a soldier with the cavalry, had settled in the area in 1880 and owned land on city plats called the Kean Addition. Many of the original homes are now gone and the people scattered where once there were vibrant immigrant communities. Italians moved into the neighborhood on the north end of Sargent Avenue. One supervisor, originally from Sweden, found himself learning Italian to meet the needs of the men he worked with. One street east and further down was the old German-Hungarian Hall, and Norwegians gathered further east, closer to the large butte known as "Hungry Joe." Many of them were from around Stavanger, Norway, and there was a closeness with the railroad communities of Wibaux and Hodges, as a number of Norwegians settled in those areas as well.
STARTING POINT: the northern pacific roundhouse site/bnsf railyard(Bell and sargent streets)
The Northern Pacific railroad built its roundhouse here. The area has always been the headquarters for the railroad's working men and women in Glendive and the site of the depot. Today, it is the yard for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad.
- Railroad company houses
Standing on the west corner of Valentine and Sargent and looking northwest, you will see a row of trees and lilac bushes. Old photographs show a number of railroad company houses. These homes were occupied until about 2000 when BNSF reclaimed the land due to diesel contamination from seepage.
217 sargent - c. s. thorpe home
C. S. Thorpe was the first pastor to serve Zion Lutheran. His memoirs depict a time when pastors used the railroad to visit multiple congregations and traveled by horse and wagon to those places without church pastor. When he married and brought a wife home from Minnesota, he bought the small house at 217 South Sargent for his new bride. When he left in 1911, the house moved into private hands.
3. 2n. sargent - ed o'neil home
Ed O’Neil was an engineer who brought one the first trains into Glendive. The fireplace in the home is made of lava rock collected around Lindsay, Montana.
4. ST. JULIANA'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
St. Juliana’s stood at the corner of Sargent and Power until the new church was built on Meade Avenue and renamed Sacred Heart. Dawson Community College used the building as a college shanty for dances and other socials before it was torn down.
5 pOweR- zion lutheran church
Zion Lutheran Church was built by Scandinavian immigrants in 1906 and used by this congregation until 1956 when workshop was moved to the building further south on Sargent and Riverview. In the years following, it was used as a church by other denominations and later as a private home and retail space.
6. the nick & mary buttleman home
Nick and his brother John were two German immigrants who ranched on the Bad Route in eastern Montana. Arriving in 1889, they eventually sold their horses and moved into cattle ranching. At one time, they owned some 10,000 acres of land. The brothers eventually moved to town so their children could attend school.
Steve & laNie meissner home
The home of Steve and Lanie Meissner was filled with music. Of the eight Meissner children who grew up here, three became professional musicians. Steve owned and operated the Glendive Meat Market, had a dance band, and was general manager of the Glendive City Band for many years. Meissner baseball field is the result of his love of sports.
8. Crisafulli's grocery store
Joe and Mary Crisafulli catered to the Italian families whose men worked for the railroad. Their store is no longer standing.
SargENT -william lindsay home
William Lindsay ranched north of Glendive near the small town of Lindsay. He was known as “Mr. Republican” in town and ran unsuccessfully for governor.
10. - the anton johnson home
The Anton Johnson home house cavalry soldiers tasked with guarding the railroad as tracks were ln -
11. rR superintendent's home
Built in 1884, the railroad superintendent’s home is a landmark in the early photos of Glendive. The house was owned by the railroad for nearly 80 years. One of the men who lived there was John Rapelje, who began his career in Glendive and was later vice president of the Northern Pacific Railroad. A steam pipe was laid from the railroad steam plant to the house for heat. Next to the superintendent’s home are two additional homes built for railroad workers.
12. nowlan - lincoln school
Still a functioning elementary school, Lincoln School was built in 1906. W. T. Perham, a local builder in Glendive’s early years, was the architect and construction engineer. Perham Football Field was named in his honor, as he was a generous community supporter.
belgerman-hungarian hall
Immigrants would gather here at Nowlan & Bell for socials and dances—polkas and beer—on the weekends. Since Glendive’s early days, the Hall has served as a storage unit and an apartment house at various times.