The Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton Railroad (CH&D) began construction in the Miami Valley in 1846. The railroad was finished in 1851 and formally opened its doors, linking Cincinnati and Hamilton, Ohio. The railroad was soon extended all the way to Dayton. The original length of the line was 59.07 miles.

The railroad's construction attracted German and Irish migrants looking for work. Following the completion of the railroad, these migrant workers stayed in the area and found work in the factories that began to spring up near the railroad and the Miami and Erie Canal.

The original purpose of the CH&D was as a commuter line. Professionals and businessmen saw the railroad as a means of connecting to other cities and conducting business. Along the railway, a variety of small communities were built, and wealthy people moved out of Cincinnati to live in these communities. The railroad finally attached to Toledo and Detroit towards the north.

This railroad connected with the Iron Railroad / Dt&I at Bartles Station (Present day SR 93 at Texas Hollow/SR 373). The railway went out Texas Hollow, cut through a couple tunnels, then looped around to present day SR 93/CR 14. From there the rail bed is very visible along 93 and the tracks are still present in oak hill.