In Payne, the railroad tradition remained very much alive, with the sound of distant train whistles echoing across the open fields of Paulding County, and one of its most determined survivors nearly disappeared in 1989 before the 1892 Nickel Plate Railroad Depot was saved from extinction by generous local citizens, railroad enthusiasts, organizations, and businesses. Originally located downtown on the south side of the present-day tracks on the east side of North Main Street, the depot served as both a passenger and freight depot and operated through the early 1960s.