When the Milwaukee Road built its Pacific Extension, hundreds of Japanese
men were recruited to help with the build. After the construction was
completed in 1910, Japanese men stayed and spent their careers working for
the Milwaukee Road across the Northwest.
One man who stayed was Sichiro (Sam) Satake. Sichiro married his wife
Fudeo and they settled in Harlowton, Montana. They had ten children. A
number of the children, including son Jim, built life-long careers on the
Milwaukee Road. Jim worked as an engineer for decades driving trains
between Three Forks and Harlowton, Montana. Three sons served in the U.S.
Army during WWII. None of these families were interred during the war as
the men were deemed “essential workers” by the railroad.
The Satake Family lived in “Japanese Town” located along the Musselshell
River just behind the roundhouse at Harlowton. Six Japanese families lived in
this small settlement. Most lived in box cars that were added on to as their
families grew.
The only remaining structure from Japan Town that remains is the box car
the Satake family called home. The car later served as a ranch building for
decades after it was moved from Japan Town. In late July 2026, the car was
permanently moved to the campus of the Milwaukee Road Depot Museum at
Harlowton.
In celebration of the hundreds of Japanese men who worked on the
Milwaukee Road and their families, as well as those who called Harlowton
home, the car will be restored and opened as a permanent exhibit.
Please help fund the restoration of this incredibly significant piece of
Milwaukee Road and Japanese American history.