Built in 1905 during the years when the Oregon Electric Railway ran through Wilsonville, The Cottage Hotel depended directly on the railroad’s passenger service, with a boardwalk connecting the train depot to the hotel. It offered guests five upstairs rooms and additional rooms on the south side of the main floor, but owner Fanny Dill’s home-style cooking brought it particular renown. In the large living room with its high, elegantly beamed ceiling, Mrs. Dill served meals so well regarded that crews on northbound trains used a special whistle to alert her in advance so dinner would be ready when they arrived. When railroad passenger service ended, the hotel closed, and since 1939 the building has served as a private residence.