The Wayzata Railroad Depot has a rich and contentious history. The first train arrived in Wayzata in 1867, when the town was considered the "end of the road." The original depot was located about a block east of the current depot.
As the railroad expanded westward, more tracks were laid between Lake Minnetonka and Main Street in Wayzata.
This decision led to protests from citizens due to issues such as noise, cinders, sparks, and the feeling of being cut off from the lake. Residents demanded that the railroad owner, James J. Hill, relocate the tracks further north, away from the lakeshore. Hill refused, resulting in the town filing a lawsuit. In 1881, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Hill was trespassing on village property.
Known for his stubborn and powerful nature, Hill was infuriated. Instead of moving the tracks north, he tore down the existing Wayzata depot and built a new, smaller depot a mile east of town. This action effectively made Wayzata "off the map" for rail service, forcing residents to walk a mile through marshy terrain to catch a train. Hill famously declared that Wayzata residents could "walk a mile for the next twenty years."
Eventually, the city of Wayzata reconciled with Hill. As part of this agreement, Hill commissioned the construction of the current magnificent Wayzata Depot in 1906. This new depot was built in a more convenient location, closer to the downtown business district and on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, officially putting Wayzata "back on the map." The tracks were never moved, and trains still operate between the lakeshore and the town of Wayzata.