In the late 1800's, the Milwaukee Road was a prosperous railroad out of Chicago with over 6,000 miles of track. Experiencing competition from other rail lines, the company decided to expand west to take advantage of burgeoning West Coast markets. The route proposed for the new line ran through the rugged Bitterroot Mountains. Surveying and construction started in the early 1900s, but the war, a massive forest fire, and the challenges of the terrain slowed progress. On June 29, 1947, the Milwaukee Road inaugurated its post-war streamlined flagship, the Olympian Hiawatha. The Milwaukee advertised the new faster train as a "speedliner." The Olympian Hiawatha was heavily promoted for its highly scenic route through Idaho and Montana's Bitterroot Mountains and the Cascade Range in Washington.
Sea Reach was contracted by the Forest Service to develop interpretive signage along the lower portion of the trail from St. Regis to Lookout Pass. The upper portion of the trail is a spectacular 15-mile bike ride that takes you through tunnels and over trestles. The exhibits are long and narrow and the bases are designed with a crossed railroad tie to exemplify the many trestles that define this route.
