Great Falls in Cascade County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Bus Depot and Garage

Great Falls Central Business Historic District

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 19, 2019

1. Bus Depot and Garage Marker

Inscription. Streamline Moderne architecture celebrated America’s engineering prowess. The style—which offered an optimistic response to the woes of the Great Depression—promised a better future through technology. Its celebration of speed and efficiency provided a perfect match for Greyhound Lines, which adopted the style as part of its corporate identity. Founded in 1914, the bus company built dozens of Streamline Moderne depots during its dramatic post-World War II expansion, including this one in 1947. Complementing the sleek aesthetic of Greyhound’s Silverside buses, the depots incorporated modern materials, including glass block and aluminum, which gave the buildings a progressive feel. In typical streamlined fashion, the depots hugged the ground while their smooth, aerodynamic surfaces, rounded corners, and curved plate-glass windows echoed the company’s commitment to fast, efficient transportation. The site of the Great Falls depot had once housed a livery stable. After 1947, it provided access to a more modern form of transportation, conveniently located near the city center.

Erected by The Montana National

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Register Sign Program.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Montana National Register Sign Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.

Location. 47° 30.245′ N, 111° 18.064′ W. Marker is in Great Falls, Montana, in Cascade County. It is at the intersection of 1st Avenue South and 4th Street South, on the left when traveling west on 1st Avenue South. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 326 1st Avenue South, Great Falls MT 59404, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically entral Montana in Russell Country. It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: "Nibbles" (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line);

Bus Depot and Garage and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 19, 2019

2. Bus Depot and Garage and Marker

The marker is to the right of the entrance at the rounded building corner.

S.H. Kress and Company (about 500 feet away); Liberty Theatre (about 600 feet away); Great Falls Central Business Historic District (about 700 feet away); Murphy Maclay Hardware Store (approx. 0.2 miles away); F.W. Woolworth Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Lemon Boarding House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Arvon Block (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Great Falls.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 22, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 19, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 375 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 19, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.