The first twenty-five miles of track for the Port Huron and Northwestern Railroad opened from Port Huron to Croswell in 1879. Marlette citizens lured the railroad by raising $15,000 toward construction of the tracks. The line extended from Saginaw Junction in St. Clair County to Marlette in January 1881, and the Marlette to Mayville line opened in the fall. The Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad purchased the Port Huron & Northwestern in 1889. Flint contractor E. M. Stewart built this depot in 1890 with a double waiting room, an office, and a baggage room. The Marlette Historical Society bought the building in 1999.