Federal Valley Trains

Federal Valley Trains. . , Ohio was an incredibly important state to railroads; one of the nation's first opened in 1839, the Mad River and Lake Erie (a future component of the New York Central), and key cities were located there offering substantial business for the industry; Columbus, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Cleveland, Canton, Akron, Toledo, and Dayton. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, an early leader in the transportation revolution, provided the country with a more efficient means of travel. The rail line's construction began on July 4, 1828 and eventually expanded into thirteen states., In the late 1800's the first railroad tracks were laid in Athens County. In Amesville the Federal Valley Line came from Cutler and passes the south side of the village near Federal Creek and headed north to Trimble. In the early years, cargo was hauled (which included lumber, ore, building materials and bulk produce) but later passenger service was added. In the early 1900's, you could catch an afternoon train to Marietta, have dinner and see a show, then return to Amesville that evening. The Amesville line was discontinued in the 1950's, but sections of the railroad bed are still visible.