Cincinnati Van Wert & Michigan

Company History: The CVW&M was established in 1881 to build and acquire its way between Cincinnati, Ohio and Jackson, Michigan. Their first step was to lease and later buy the 3’ gauge Celina Van Wert & State Line (which they immediately standard gauged) and the Van Wert Paulding & Michigan. By 1886, they had reached Paulding in the north and West Manchester in the south before merging with the Jackson & Ohio Railroad to form the Cincinnati Jackson & Mackinaw Railroad. Ownership later passed to Cincinnati Northern, then Big Four.

Successor/Parent History: The Cincinnati Van Wert & Michigan merged with the Jackson & Ohio in 1886 to form the Cincinnati Jackson & Mackinaw. The new company acquired the Michigan & Ohio in 1887. In 1992, the company was reorganized into the Cincinnati, Jackson and Mackinaw.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.