Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for 1923 season 2, episode 4.The train station used to dump bodies inYellowstonejust got an origin story in1923, and it may even hint at what’s to come for the prequel show. As one ofYellowstone’s many spinoff showsand a prequel,1923has answered a few of the burning questions about Taylor Sheridan’s landmark Western series. For example, it has filled out many of the holes in theDutton family tree, and it also helped bridge the gap between the Duttons' humble beginnings in1883and their dominant empire inYellowstone. Now, the prequel show has also helped explain the train station.
Thetrain station inYellowstonewas 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 inYellowstone, and now1923has 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
At theend of1923season 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 in1923is actually the same area that would be known as the train station inYellowstone. 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 between1923andYellowstoneeven clearer, Whitfield echoed John Dutton III’s words.InYellowstoneseason 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 in1923.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 theending ofYellowstonein 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
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 in1923.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 join up with the Duttons. If he does, Creighton could easily tell them about the train station once they’ve dealt with Whitfield.
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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 aYellowstonequestion and set up an answer for1923as well.
1923
Cast
1923 is a series following the Dutton family during the early twentieth century. It explores the challenges they face amidst pandemics, the end of Prohibition, historic drought, and the Great Depression, as they struggle to maintain their home in the mountain west.
Yellowstone
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton, as they defend their expansive ranch against external threats from land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park. Released on July 30, 2025, this series examines the complex dynamics and violent conflicts surrounding the largest contiguous ranch in the United States.
