In the late 19th century, America’s cities were often cluttered, noisy, grimy, and crowded near the smokestacks of giant industries, and life in a metropolis like Cleveland, the 11th largest U.S. city in 1880, seemed increasingly frenetic. In many urban areas, rail travel through pastoral lands offered a natural respite from modern life. Middle class city dwellers with expanded leisure time and extra income found weekend excursions through the countryside reinvigorating and a way to rejuvenate their senses. These trips were affordable, nearby, and brief, an important consideration when nonwork days were limited. Along the Valley Railway, riders could enjoy long stretches of rural scenery between Cleveland, Akron, and Canton.