Canton was a part of the "glory days" of the Illinois Central system, both passenger and freight. From the introduction of the Panama Limited to the "piggyback" freight trains, Canton was the turn around point for train crew personnel from Memphis and New Orleans. Thus, the crews were in Canton several hours each trip. At one point a YMCA was built across the street from the depot (where the farmer’s market is now) so the train crews would have somewhere to go while waiting for their return trip home.

The freight trains provided a means for transporting the county’s farms produce to markets outside the county and the state. The lumber industry flourished and even today the trains carry logs from the International Paper Yard here in Canton.

The passenger trains: the Green Diamond, the Panama Limited, the City of New Orleans, the Louisanne and the Creole, all provided a special transportation experience. A passenger could dine in a car that served the meals on china, silver and crystal, designed for especially Illinois Central. Pullman cars were introduced so passengers could sleep on the train and take longer trips. Observation cars allowed the passengers a better view of the countryside. It was in the 1960 - 70’s, when the interstate systems were introduced, that the number of passengers on the trains began to decline.

The Depot Museum celebrates that segment of history in Canton and Madison County which continues to attract railroad and history enthusiasts from all walks of life. From the Mississippi Central and the Great Northern to the Illinois Central, Amtrak, and now Canadian owned Illinois Central, Canton continues to be on the mainline of mid-America.