Train tracks were first brought to Clinton in the late 1850s by the Knoxville & Kentucky Company, but they were destroyed during the Civil War. The first train passed through Clinton in 1869, operated by the Knoxville & Ohio Company, which would eventually be sold to Southern Railway. These rail lines were crucial to the growing coal & timber business in the county. Across the street from the depot was Southern Railway Park, where citizens gathered every Sunday. At peak operation, 45 to 50 trains passed through Clinton daily, 8 of which were passenger trains. The current depot, the second or third to be on this site, was built around 1914-1915.
