The railroad was really the beginning of Letcher. The Milwaukee Railroad in 1882 had reached Letcher from Mitchell and would be extending north to Aberdeen in the future. Letcher was replotted when the railroad‘s route was discovered (it was originally located four miles southwest of its location today.) The town grew by leaps and bounds in the wake of the railroad. Soon the trains were bringing farmers, businessmen, adventurers and land locators. There were homesteader specials that brought hundreds to see the free land for homesteading. Promotion campaigns were slated for the states to the east. One slogan read “Everyone is coming to Dakota to locate on free land. Those who delay will find the best land files on.” The community had a land locator who hauled the men to see the land they might file on, for a fee. Many were high pressure salesmen who showed the men land covered with snow that really was very unsuitable for farming. All of this was to promote their coming to settle here and increase their population.

This is a timetable from a 1903 newspaper:

Here is an ad from the 1903 Letcher Chronicle:

On March 17, 24, and 31, and on April 7 and 14, 1903, a rate of $14 from Chicago and Milwaukee will be in effect to all points in South Dakota. The low rate is intended to bring settlers to South Dakota. If you are interested in this effort you can help by sending the names and addresses of those likely to be interested to the undersigned for the complete information about the low rates and routes, and a word on South Dakota will be sent free. Should you are to pay for the trip of anyone to this state, you can pay the money to the nearest agent of this Company, and he will arrange the matter for you.

In the 1906 Letcher Chronicle:

We will have Sunday trains from now on; the train will run on regular times as does the train every day. This will enable the boys to go to Mitchell and spend Sunday. Tom Mernaugh can eat dinner in Loomis and we will get our mail seven days a week instead of six. But it will compel the aagent to work one more day a week and keep "Dock Kirk" away from church. It will give Jim Davis a chance to carry mail sacks from the depot to the post office. We have asked for and hoped for better service on the Milwaukee, and we have got it.

The first years snow would make the track impassable, and there would not be service for many days. It was said that one could ride the train to Mitchell and back for $.35. You could go to Mitchell in the morning and come back in the afternoon. Many people used the passenger trains for their main transportation through the early years and up through the 1920"s and 30"s. Today we have no passenger trains; there is a freight train.

The depot was built and located just west of the tracks on the north side. Ed Welch was the first station agent; H. E. Richardson was the second agent in 1885. Some of the early station agents were W. E. Ryan in 1890, John Cashman from about 1919 to 1933, Rowena Pence, R.J. Coleman, and D.H. Ayers. The depot closed in about 1960; John Dangle was the last agent.