The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot in Clinton, Minnesota, United States, is a historic railway station. It is now known as the Clinton Depot, and serves as a local history museum for the Clinton area. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The interior has hardwood floors and decorative wainscoting in the waiting room, an office in the middle and a freight room at the south end. Exhibits include military memorabilia, farm and agriculture displays, train memorabilia, and photos, posters, newspapers and historic items about Clinton.Line informationThe Fargo and Southern railroad company built a loading platform in 1883 two miles south of Clinton. It was called Rupert.Two years later they moved their station to Clinton and it was called Batavia as late as 1899. The Fargo and Company line built from Ortonville to the South Dakota line near Wheaton, going through Clinton in 1884 and sold to the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad company in 1885.The first through train on the line ran July 2, 1884.From 1885 through the late 1920s four trains stopped at the Clinton depot each day including morning freight and passenger trains northbound for Fargo, an afternoon southbound train, and an evening southbound passenger train.TelegraphsPosted at the depot was a sign which read "Western Union Telegraph Office." Railroads not only carried the mail and newspapers, they also meant another means of communication. Depot agents were necessarily telegraphers. In addition to handling railroad communications, they also relayed messages to the general public.
