After 1900, Davenport’s downtown gained importance as a retail and wholesale center. To serve these commercial activities, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (The Milwaukee Road) constructed this Freight Station in 1917. The functional building consisted of a two-story office block at one end and a low warehouse and loading dock at the other. With railroad tracks on the south, freight hauled in by train could be easily transferred for distribution to Davenport wholesale and retail stores.