Havre was incorporated in north central Montana in 1893. It was founded primarily to serve as a major railroad service center for the Great Northern Railway (built by James J. Hill) with its location midway between Seattle and Minneapolis-St. Paul. A statue of Hill stands near the Havre Amtrak station to commemorate the key contributions his railroad has made to Havre's and Montana's history. Also next to the station on display is Great Northern S-2 Class #2584, a 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive that served the station while it was in passenger service.