On Track in Franklin Mills
Marvin Kent, of Franklin Mills, Ohio, was the proprietor of a glass works, woolen factory, and flour mill, among other enterprises, and wanted railroad connections to bring his products to market. To accomplish this, he received a charter on March 10, 1851 from the Ohio legislature for the Franklin & Warren Railroad. The charter gave Kent the right to build a railroad from Franklin Mills, Ohio to Warren, Ohio and east to the Pennsylvania state line and south to Dayton. Work on the line began in July of 1853 with Henry Doolittle and W. S. Streater as contractors. In September 1853 the company merged with two other railroads and changed its name to the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad Co.
Marvin Kent was the president of the Franklin and Warren and later the Atlantic & Great Western of Ohio railroads. Under his leadership the railroads built huge yards and shops in Franklin Mills, and many workers were hired. When the A&GW was absorbed into the Erie Railroad, the townspeople were so grateful to Mr. Kent for the prosperity he brought their town that they voted to rename the town “Kent,” the current name of the city.
for more on Kent’s rich railroad history: www.kentohiohistory.org
