The community of Allen, founded in the 1870s, grew rapidly after the Texas Traction Company arrived in 1908. Allen became a stop on the interurban line between Dallas and Sherman, with hourly passenger cars running daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and two daily freight deliveries bringing mail, produce, and railway express packages. After first operating from a farmhouse, Texas Traction bought this property in 1912 and built the brick depot in 1913. In 1917 the railway became the Texas Electric, which provided service from Denison to Waco until abandonment in 1948.