Florida Southern Railway purchased the right of way for the tracks in 1886. By 1889, the town had a full-time depot master and regular train service, and railroad personnel named the stop Wauchula, using a Native-American word meaning cry of the sandhill crane. The brick depot opened on January 28, 1915, replacing the original wooden structure. At its busiest, eight trains ran daily, with four northbound and four southbound, including equal numbers of passenger and freight trains. Train service to Wauchula ended on Tuesday, June 10, 1986, at 12:01 a.m.