Dennison OH Railroad Depot

Dennison Railroad Depot

Last time we went through this part of Ohio (along I-70 and US 40) we stopped at the National Road Museum, which we would recommend. This time we went to Dennison’s Railroad Depot. The first part of the museum was very disappointing. It gave the history of how Dennison was a midway stop between Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh for the Pennsylvania Railroad. The town was primarily created to house all the railroad workers for the Railroad works here, where they built and repaired engines and cars. A strike by the railroad workers in 1922, caused the railroad to move the jobs out of town.

Model of Rail Works

The second part of the museum told the story during World War II, of the canteen run by the Salvation Army, to provide food and drink for the troop trains that passed through town. They restored the depot as a memorial to all the World War II canteens. Over a million soldiers passed through here in the 4 years of the war, and volunteers from an 8-county area would provide them with sandwiches, cookies, and coffee. The town became know as “Dreamland, Ohio” after a popular song of the day.

Serving WW II soldiers at the Canteen

The third part of the museum continues in the railroad cars showing typical cars of the day: passenger, dining, hospital, and sleeping cars. I never thought about the fact that hospital trains would be needed for the men injured in war. In addition, there is a section on railroad communication – how do you track the trains and prevent them from crashing into each other. It started with the telegraph and evolved with mechanical and then electrical signals. These last two sections made the museum worthwhile. Tonight we’re staying in Raccoon State Park, a beautiful forested park about 25 miles outside Pittsburgh.

Evolution of Railroad Signals