The Great Northern Railway was built through what is now Whitefish in 1904,
which sparked development of the town. Early residents of the town worked for
the railroad and nearby logging industries. By the late 1940s, with the
successful construction of a ski resort on Big Mountain (a collaboration
between outside developers and local businessmen) the tourism sector was
becoming increasingly important. The community was named for its location near
Whitefish Lake.
In 2006, over 68,000 passengers embarked
and disembarked through the historic Whitefish Depot, a stop on Amtrak's
