Mansfield became an early industrial leader in the American Midwest by building one of the first railroads west of the Alleghenies.

It happened that way because Richland County was settled by farmers, and in the 1830s these farmers had a great talent for growing the single crop that was most needed in big cities of the East Coast.  The problem was, they had no way to get it there.

So they had to get creative.

What they created was the Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark Rail Road.

READ MORE