The Peoria train depot was constructed in 1895 at a cost of $1,455 by the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway Company. The wood-frame structure served the agricultural and ranching interests in Peoria and areas west of Phoenix until 1972. Because of its strategic location, it played a major role in the settlement of Peoria and the success of the cotton farming industry in the West Valley. The original Peoria township, including downtown Peoria, stood only steps away. In 1972, the depot was purchased from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and in 1974 it was moved to its present location. After the move to McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, two electricians discovered several documents dating from 1897, including a certificate of health issued by the Livestock Sanitary Board for one carload of 82 hogs shipped from Glendale to Los Angeles, and a bill of lading for a shipment from Phoenix to Peoria that included one crate of fruit, one box of apples, two sacks of spuds, 10 sacks of flour, a sack of sugar, and other items, with a total bill of $1.18.