Glasgow Montana Area History
The first explorers to this area were Lewis and Clark on May 8, 1805. They camped at the joining of the
Milk and Missouri Rivers, which is about eighteen miles southeast of Glasgow.
Glasgow was established in the 1880's as a railroad town. The Great Northern Railway developed the
Montana Hi-Line and was created by James J. Hill. The railroad brought in thousands of ranchers and
farmers into Montana and transported out the crops they grew. In the 1920's the Hi-Line boomed as more
settlers came. Then, the Depression of the 1930's hit resulting in a decline in demand for products. Then
came the drought of the mid 30's which caused a lot of farmers to go out of business.
Even with the Depression and the drought, Glasgow was still able to grow in size when the Fort Peck
Dam was being built in 1933. In the 1940's World War II led to a demand in crops, which put farmers and
ranchers back in business. The former Glasgow Air Force Base was a main attraction for the area for
many years with 67 buildings and its 13,500 foot runway. It provided employment during and after World
War II. In the late 1960's, the Air Force Base closed which was a hard hit to Glasgow. As the U.S.
entered a period of stagflation in the 70's, the Hi-Line pretty much followed suit.
Eighteen miles from Glasgow is the Fort Peck Lake, which is the largest body of water in Montana. The
lake has 1,520 miles of shoreline which is the same as the total coastal front of California. Fort Peck
Dam, which was finished in 1940, is the largest earth-filled dam in the world. It measures 21,026 feet in
length and its maximum height is 250.5 feet. Fort Peck Lake is popular for its walleye fishing. The
Governor's Cup is held there every year, which attracts fisherman from all over. The dam is very
impressive to see and the lake is also quite the attraction.
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