The Chicago, Great Western Railroad, previously known as the Mason City and Fort Dodge Railroad, built rail lines into Fort Dodge around 1886 and provided passenger connections to Minneapolis, Omaha, and Des Moines until 1965. The Chicago, Great Western Depot and the Illinois Central Depot stood as bookends to downtown, and a street car was later built to connect the two depots, which housed north-south and east-west passenger lines. The railroad sometimes ran excursions from Fort Dodge to other locations at rates ranging from half to one-fifth of the cost, promoting travel between the cities it served and sometimes supporting large events. The depot building was demolished in 1964, near the end of passenger rail service in Fort Dodge.