1923 Season 2, Episode 4 Just Revealed The Origin Of Yellowstone's Train Station

By Sean Morrison

Published Mar 16, 2025

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Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for 1923 season 2, episode 4.The train station used to dump bodies in Yellowstone just got an origin story in Dutton family tree, and it also helped bridge the gap between the Duttons' humble beginnings in 1883 and their dominant empire in Yellowstone. Now, the prequel show has also helped explain the train station.

The train station in Yellowstone was a place where the Duttons or their branded cowboys could kill people and dispose of their bodies without ever being caught. Because the train station was located in a very remote place on the border between Wyoming and Montana, no one lived there, and it was impossible to make a jury to prosecute any crimes committed there. At the very least, its remoteness means the bodies would likely never be found. The Duttons used the train station extensively in Yellowstone, and now 1923 has given it an origin story.

1923's Origin For Yellowstone's Train Station Explained

Donald Whitfield Discovered The Train Station & Planned To Dump The Duttons' Bodies There

Timothy Dalton as Donald Whitfield looking awestruck in 1923 season 2, episode 2

At the end of 1923 season 2, episode 4, Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) told Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) about a parcel of land he had found. As Whitfield explained, this tract of land was on the border between Montana and Wyoming, had a population of zero, and was the perfect place to dump a body. Whitfield's plot of land in 1923 is actually the same area that would be known as the train station in Yellowstone. They're both in roughly the same spot along the border, they're both uninhabited, and they're both used to dispose of bodies.

To make the connection between 1923 and Yellowstone even clearer, Whitfield echoed John Dutton III's words. In Yellowstone season 5, John III told Beth (Kelly Reilly) that the train station had "a population of zero, hence no jury of your peers," while Whitfield told Creighton that his newfound land had "no 12 jurors of your peers." It seems incredibly unlikely that Whitfield and multiple generations of Duttons found two distinct areas that were perfect places to get away with murder.

The Duttons Have Been Using The Train Station For Generations

The Duttons Have Dumped Countless Bodies At The Train Station Over 100 Years

Since Whitfield found the train station, it seems like an eventuality that the Duttons are going to start using it as well in 1923. That means that the Duttons have been killing people and disposing of their bodies for multiple generations across an entire century. Either Jacob or Spencer, presumably, will start dumping corpses there in the spring of 1924, and the practice would last until the ending of Yellowstone in about 2023. There's likely a proverbial mountain of dead bodies stashed at the train station, and the Duttons' hold over the Yellowstone was quite literally built on top of them.

Will The Train Station Be Where Whitfield Ends Up In 1923?

Creighton May Tell The Duttons About The Train Station & Whitfield Might Be Killed There

Donald Whitfield in 1923 — Custom image by Ana Nieves

The fact that Whitfield is the person who actually found the train station also seems like an important detail, and it could hint at his final fate in 1923. Creighton and Whitfield have had a rift growing between them for a while now, ever since Creighton said that he was scared of Whitfield, and the train station may be the thing that splits up their partnership. Creighton has to dispose of Christy's (Cailyn Rice) body, and he may decide to turn on Whitfield and up with the Duttons. If he does, Creighton could easily tell them about the train station once they've dealt with Whitfield.

1923 Season 2 Release Schedule
Episode #	Title	Release Date
1	The Killing Season	February 22
2	The Rapist Is Winter	March 2
3	Wrap Thee In Terror	March 9
4	Journey the Rivers of Iron	March 16
5	Only Gunshots to Guide Us	March 23
6	TBA	March 30
7	TBA	April 6
8	TBA	April 13

While it isn't yet clear how the Duttons will deal with Whitfield, it does seem that they have the perfect way to handle him once their war is over. Whitfield is a millionaire with a lot of powerful and wealthy connections across Montana, and his death or disappearance would certainly be noticed. Even Jacob wouldn't be able to smooth-talk his way out of being charged with murder, but if they dump Whitfield's body at the train station, they'll never face legal repercussions. By explaining where the train station came from, Taylor Sheridan answered a Yellowstone question and set up an answer for 1923 as well.