Citizens in Milan, Ohio, did not support efforts to bring rail lines to the village in the 1840s and 1850s when the Milan Canal was filled vessels. By the late 1870s, the canal was obsolete and railroads were welcomed. Track was laid for the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad along the east side of the Huron River. In later years, the Lake Shore Electric and New York, Chicago and St. Louis (Nickle Plate) tracks were laid in the Milan area.