The Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad was first chartered in 1845 to connect Cleveland and Pittsburgh but actual construction of the railroad did not begin until the late 1840s. Trains were running to Hudson in 1851 and the line was fully connected to Pittsburgh in 1853.

The Akron branch of the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad was incorporated in March of 1851 and was built as a branch road from Hudson through Cuyahoga Falls and Akron and extending south. The track reached Akron in 1852 and eventually extended south of Millersburg. Upon its incorporation, the railroad was known as the "Akron Branch of the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad." Over next fifty years various railroad organizations bought and sold the line and changed the name. In 1869 the Pittsburgh, Mt. Vernon, Columbus & London Railroad acquired the branch and extended it to Columbus. Pennsylvania Railroad eventually controlled most of the company by 1899. Passenger service from Cleveland to Columbus (and consequently Akron to Hudson) ceased in 1951.

Sources for the history: "Pennsylvania Railroad." Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University and Western Reserve Historical Society, n.d. Web. 8 June 2010; Lane, Samuel A. Fifty years and over of Akron and Summit County. Akron: Beacon Job Department, 1892. N. pag. Google Book Search. Web. 8 June 2010. (p.623-625); * Akron Railroad Club. "Akron Railroad History" Akron Railroad Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 June 2010.