The arrival of the railroads at Alliance was a major event in Stark County's history. In 1851, the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad, running southeast to northwest, and the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad, running east to west, intersected at this location. Known as "the crossing," the site became the Village of Alliance. William Robinson, Jr., president of the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad, is credited with applying the name "Alliance" to the crossing when the railroads bought rights-of-way in 1849 and anticipated the intersection of the lines. A plat named "Alliance" was recorded September 26, 1850. The Village of Alliance was established in 1854, when 100 citizens of the communities of Williamsport, Freedom, and Alliance, also known as Liberty, signed a petition to incorporate on March 15, and the petition was accepted and recorded in June.