Stevens Point was once the rail hub of central Wisconsin, and its Historic Southside Railroad Complex still contains buildings, engines, and tracks that evoke the time when the railroad was the dominant means of transportation in the country. The first train arrived in Stevens Point in 1871, and from then on the railroad played a major role in the city’s development. As one of Stevens Point’s biggest employers, the railroad hired many workers to keep steam engines and diesel locomotives fueled, maintained, switched, and running on schedule. Six nearby railroad hotels, including the Majestic, European, and Acord, once provided accommodations for train travelers and railroad workers. The active switch yards, yard office, roundhouse, repair shops, depot, and surrounding commercial buildings testify to the railroad’s major role in Stevens Point for more than 125 years.