Ohio was an incredibly important state to railroads. One of the nation's first railroads opened there in 1839, the Mad River and Lake Erie, a future component of the New York Central, and key cities there offered substantial business for the industry, including 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. Construction of that line began on July 4, 1828, and it 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, passed the south side of the village near Federal Creek, and headed north to Trimble. In its early years it hauled cargo including lumber, ore, building materials, and bulk produce, but later passenger service was added. In the early 1900's, people 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.