Since there has been allot of posts on the old BN Depot on on the South side of town - what about the old Milwaukee Depot? What is in there? Last I knew it was part of the school district (storage?)

What is the history of this building?

Is "half moon" park still there? How did it get that name? Or is that just what the neighborhood kids called it. We spent many, many hours down there. It was just a few blocks from my childhood home on 8th & Palmer.

Thanks Dana

I was working on the 100 years ago Stardust this evening and came across the reference to the Milwaukee work crews clearing the lot for the future depot. It is still storage for the school district. They put a new roof on it a few years ago and are keeping it in decent shape. It stopped being the Milwaukee depot in about 1955, when the RR gave it to the city and moved passengers to a little wooden building on North Cottage. It was the armoury and some churches used it and then it was the Custer County Junior College starting in 1957 until they built the MCC campus.

It looks a bit shabby but compared to the NP depot, is doing okay. The park has no playground equipment any more but it still watered and mowed by the city. I took Bart's girls down there a few times this spring. I don't know if Half Moon is an official name but I don't know of any other.

When I was in 7th/8th grades at Washington School the depot was used as a classroom for woodshop and crafts classes. Mr. Swenson was our teacher. He was a good guy. Any teacher that can survive junior high kids is a candidate for sainthood in my opinion.

- Dave

In another thread: "Photos of Miles" is a couple of good photos of the Milwaukee Depot. There used to be a Beanry also known as a cafe. My mother worked there. She meet my Dad while working there, He was a brakeman. The year 1924. My dad worked 48 years in train service before retiring. I worked one summer servicing passenger trains and on the rip track after CCHS


This message was edited by Jim Davis

It is presently used as a shop/classroom for the WMS vo-tech type classes. The other half of the building is used as shop and storage space for the school district. Half Moon park is watered and maintained by the school district and used for WMS PE and an occasional science outing.
It is a cool old building that was recently repainted, re-roofed and a new heating system installed.

Hi Mr. Davis, from the researcher of the Milwaukee Road,
I'm working on listing ALL of the Milw Road employees on the Trans-Missouri Division. Miles City had about a thousand. What was your Dad's name and what were the years he worked? How about you? Would you share a few details? Thanks for your time.
Les Snavely, Bowman, ND

[This message has been edited by Les Snavely (edited 11/18/2007).]

Les,

My Dad is deceased,1987. As far as I can tell He started around 1910.
His retirement Papers say: Fred W. Davis, retirement date Feb. 19, 1957
Signed by A.C. Novack, Superintendent and J.P. Kiley President.

Jim Davis

[This message has been edited by Stone (edited 11/19/2007).]

Hi Les. I have a bunch of names that I can give you that worked for the Milwaukee road from its start. They are from Mobridge S.D.and Miles City,Mt. all the way to Harlowton,Mt. Also have quite a few seniority lists of later years of 60's and 70's.