The main business was based on agriculture products and the railroads were often a victim of poor crop years, which was often.

[citation needed] The first name was so that the Southern Minnesota Railroad knew exactly where the new line was running to try and discourage them from building their own.

The Worthington & Dakota Railroad began laying track in July 1876 and in mid-August had reached Adrian and started running trains immediately.

The Southern Minnesota Railroad had given up on its plan to build the mainline due to the swift progress of the Worthington & Dakota.

With this increased service to the area, the construction crews returned in 1880 and built a branch line to Doon, Iowa.

[citation needed] About 1986 or 1987, Chicago and North Western (CNW) closed down a rail line that ran from Agate Junction, just west of Worthington, MN, to Sioux Falls, SD.

About 1988, Larry Wood, of the Minnesota Valley Transportation, Inc. (MNVA), bought the line and named it the Buffalo Ridge Railroad (BFRR).

In August 1999, Cascade Railcorp also invested in two other rail lines, the Minnesota Central and the NRR Dakota Division.

The State of South Dakota was uncooperative about granting Cascade Railcorp any money to give the line a much needed rehabilitation.

[citation needed] The debts incurred in the Minnesota Central and Dakota Division were catching up with the Cascade Railcorp.

In 2001, the Buffalo Ridge Rail Authority awarded the operational lease to Minnesota Southern Railway, owned by Brent Polanchek.

In 2017, the Ellis & Eastern Company purchased the Minnesota Southern Railway and its system, thus ending the railroad's operations.