Historic Photos Bring Going-to-the-Sun Road Construction to Life

Glacier National Park’s archives contain a wealth of fascinating materials and valuable historic documents, but with no park museum to display historic artifacts, documents, and photos, few people laid eyes on these incredible resources. A major digitization effort in Glacier’s archives is changing that—and so far, the results are amazing!

A collection of historic photos from the construction and dedication of Going-to-the-Sun Road, now available to the public on the Montana Memory Project give a glimpse into the harrowing and spectacular lives of those building this famous road.

With the support of our donors, the Glacier National Park Conservancy was able to support a Museum Technician position to work with these photographs. GNPC also funded work by the park librarian to add metadata to the images, putting them in their proper historical context.

“We are so excited to be a part of this project and help Glacier lovers connect to the park’s past,” says Lacy Kowalski, GNPC Associate Director of Programs and Policy, “With these online resources, people around the world can experience the wonders within the park’s archives collection!”

A Sampling of Historic Images from the Archives

Blackfeet Tribal Band at Logan Pass with teepees behind them during the Going-to-the-Sun Road dedication.

Going-to-the-Sun Road construction camp #9 maintenance crew for road construction crew.

Aerial view of Going-to-the-Sun Road dedication at Logan Pass. Shows automobiles, tipis, and the original stone comfort station and parking lot.

Shows undercut or half tunnel effect being accomplished. Drill with handkerchief attached shows direction of drill hole for plug-shot in undercutting.

Sketch and table showing comparative data for the proposed Transmountain Highway in Glacier National Park and the Roosevelt Highway (then under construction) along its southern border. Includes comparisons of length and cost.

Your Support Makes A Difference!

This project and many other critical projects would not be possible without your donations to the Glacier Conservancy.

Learn more about how your support is making other projects possible in Glacier National Park!