09/08/2026
Hey! It’s History Friday!
This week, we have a photo of tour buses passing through the East Side Tunnel with Clements Mountain in view, shown circa 1933 and today. Completed in 1931, the East Side Tunnel is a 408-foot passage carved through Piegan Mountain as part of Glacier National Park’s historic Going-to-the-Sun Road. Considered one of the most challenging sections of the road’s construction, the tunnel was built almost entirely by hand because heavy equipment could not be transported to the site. When the road officially opened in 1933, the tunnel stood as a remarkable engineering achievement.
Glacier National Park's iconic Red Buses are known as the "Red Jammers," were painted the color of Glacier's mountain ash berries and feature roll-back canvas roofs that provide unobstructed views of the park's scenery. The nickname "Jammers" comes from the sound of drivers shifting the original manual transmissions while climbing steep mountain roads. They were introduced by Roe Emery and Walter White of the White Motor Company as automobiles began replacing horse-drawn transportation. The buses became especially popular after the opening of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in 1933, and many of the vehicles still in service today were built between 1936 and 1939.
Often called the "Rubies of the Rockies," these historic buses have been carefully restored and remain one of Glacier's most beloved traditions, giving visitors a unique way to experience the park nearly a century after they first appeared.
Have you toured the park in a Red Jammer? Share your photo in the comments!
Photo: https://www.glaciernationalparklodges.com/red-bus-tours/, Montana History Portal
Source: https://dailyyonder.com/glaciers-red-buses-offer-history-and-sustainability/2022/09/23/
For more Montana History, check out the 978.6 section of the library!