Havre, Montana - Havre Beneath the Streets

The underground town was built in response to a need to protect Asian railroad workers [in the 19th century]. The railroad employed a lot of Asian workers, who were not always welcome in some towns. They were apparently safe on railroad property. Tunnels were built from the railroad property to beneath several sections of town to house businesses for them. There are tunnels to underground stores, shops, residents, etc. Some areas of Havre still have the glass blocks in the sidewalks above to allow sunlight into the tunnels.

Think of this as a smaller version of the underground tour in Seattle, which was the result of raising the city streets 10-15 feet, with the former 1st floors winding up below street level. [BobA, 07/24/2007]

In the early 20th century, Havre, Montana, had a network of tunnels running underneath the 1st Street area. These tunnels were originally developed as part of a plan to heat many of the downtown buildings, but later people moved into the tunnels and built businesses in them. The tunnels were occupied for a couple of decades before businesses ceased to use them.

In the 1990's, the Havre Chamber of Commerce, which has been looking to attract tourists passing through on highway US 2, restored a portion of the tunnels and reopened them as a tourist attraction. The tour goes through several rooms that have been furnished with antiques, and a knowledgeable tour guide describes the uses of the various rooms. The tour ends in a small railroad museum that features antiques from the Great Northern Railroad (now part of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad) and a large table with several operational model trains. [George Bendo, 09/16/2001]