Whitefish Montana History

Whitefish, Montana has a long and colorful history where the railroad and year-round vacation fun have both played a large part in making the town what it is today.

Mid-1850s
Trappers in the area saw native fish called Whitefish being caught by the Indians, thus gave the name “Whitefish” to the lake.

1883
John Morton, the first permanent settler, built a cabin on the shore of the lake.

1891
The Great Northern Railway came into the valley. A hotel was built west of the river.

1892
The area hotel completed construction and was named the Lake View House. It was only accessible by horseback. It had boat rentals and croquet grounds for visitors.

1901
The building of a town was planned when it was found that the railroad was going to build through what is now Whitefish.

1903
Land was acquired and the new town site for Whitefish was dedicated.

1905
In April, Whitefish was incorporated and the first council meeting was held.

1927
The Depot building was constructed and later was listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

1934
Some outdoor lovers discovered skiing down the slopes of Hellroaring Basin.

1937
The Whitefish Lake Ski Club began the plans for a ski area, requesting permits for trails and cabins.

Late 40s
A ski resort was built and tourism became important for Whitefish.

1947
The first ski lift was built.

1982
The Stumptown Historical Society was founded.

2006
More than 68,000 passengers stopped at the historic Whitefish Depot on Amtrak’s Empire Builder railway, many headed for the nearby ski resort.

Today
Whitefish has many of the original buildings from the early days, maintaining the unique character from its beginnings. It is no longer the railroading community that it used to be, having now gained international recognition as a recreational paradise, particularly for winter sports.