Augusta and Gilman

Named for the daughter of a local rancher, Augusta was established on Fred Walrath’s homestead in 1884. It prospered as a trade center for a vast cattle and sheep ranching area. By the 1890s, Augusta’s main street including dwellings, hotels, saloons, mercantiles and Manix & Vaughn’s famed general store. Today, many of those buildings and homes still stand, symbols of Augusta’s colorful history. In 1912, the Great Northern Railway announced plans to build a branch line westward from Great Falls into this area. Instead of extending the line to Augusta, the railroad established a station and community near here and named it Gilman. Many people abandoned Augusta and moved to Gilman. Businesses, including the bank, also relocated to Gilman, precipitating a decade-long feud between the two communities. Even though Gilman flourished, Augusta stuck it out and refused to die. By 1923, drought, hard times, and the extension of the railroad to Augusta, caused the Gilman State Bank to close and the town to fade away. Many buildings in Gilman were physically relocated to Augusta. All that remains of Gilman are concrete sidewalks and the bank building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.