The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and St. Louis Railway began construction of the Dennison Railroad Shops here in 1864. This rail line was chartered as the Steubenville and Indiana Railroad in 1849, opened in 1855, and integrated into the Pennsylvania Railroad system in 1870. Situated exactly halfway between Pittsburgh and Columbus, the yard and shops were known as the "Altoona of the Pan Handle" and included foundries, machine shops, and two roundhouses. The Dennison Shops were busiest between 1900 and 1921, employing over 3,000 workers in the complex. A bitter 1922 strike prompted consolidation, and the facility was gradually phased out, with the last passenger train stopping in 1970. Ohio Central Railroad Systems revived the line in 1992 as the Columbus and Ohio River Railroad. Built in 1873 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Dennison Depot became a symbol of the town's railroad heritage. During World War II, when the Panhandle Division played a vital role in moving troops, the Salvation Army Servicemen's Canteen operated around the clock from March 1942 to April 1946, and more than 1.3 million GIs received food and friendship from thousands of local volunteers, earning the town the nickname "Dreamsville, Ohio."