The St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway originally built a line to St. Hilaire, Minnesota, seven miles south of Thief River Falls, in 1883.

Since it was inconvenient to haul freight to St. Hilaire for shipping, Thief River Falls officials decided to give the Great Northern Railway (the successor to the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba) a $750 incentive to extend the tracks north to Thief River Falls.

This route went through territory traditionally served by the Great Northern, which upset James J. Hill, GN's owner.

The Soo Line reached Thief River Falls in 1904 and made it a division point, with buildings including a roundhouse, mechanic shop, derrick house, several warehouses, and a passenger depot.

The remodeling preserved important interior features such as the terrazzo floors and the wooden trim and doors in the passenger waiting area.