The first symbolic spike of the LDS Church-owned Utah Southern Railroad was driven by Brigham Young on May 1, 1871. Track-laying began a month later. The 13 miles to Sandy were opened to traffic in September. By February of 1872 the line had reached Traverse Mountain, northwest of Lehi.

The first train chugged into Lehi amid the cheers of hundreds of townspeople accompanied by a lively band. Most of the enthusiastic crowd saw, for the first time, a steam locomotive with its huge blunderbuss smokestack and shrieking whistle.

The effect of the Utah Southern on Lehi was dramatic. Teamsters and bullwhackers transported goods to and from points south as well as timber and ore from the rich mines in American Fork Canyon and the Tintic District. State Street and Second East exploded with growth. Dozens of business establishments sprang up to service the railroad and its clientele. The railroad changed ownership multiple times over the ensuing decades.

The Jerry Harris family purchased the Utah Southern Railroad Depot and moved the original portion of the building to the Harris property north of the tracks at 813 North and 150 East. It remains the oldest still-standing railroad depot in Utah. In 1996, the structure was purchased by the Lehi Historical Preservation Commission, which was successful in listing the building on the National Register of Historical Places. In the late 1990s, the building was returned to its original location at 225 E. State St.