The Grand Trunk Depot, known simply as "The Depot," became a longstanding part of Lewiston-Auburn's social and industrial history. Around the time of the Civil War, Lewiston's economy was booming as many Canadians immigrated to the area in search of stable, high-wage work. Built in 1874, the Depot served the Lewiston and Auburn Railroad, whose tracks connected the cities to the Grand Trunk Railway. It quickly became the arrival point for thousands of Canadian immigrants, earning the nickname "Ellis Island of Lewiston." Between 1920 and 1939, more than 80 percent of Lewiston's French-Canadian immigrants arrived through the Depot. After years of intensive use, rail service eventually stopped because of competition from automobiles and trucks.