Editing Bellefontaine, Ohio (section)

===Railroads===
Bellefontaine was [[plat]]ted by European Americans in 1820 and incorporated by the legislature in 1835.<ref>[http://www.ci.bellefontaine.oh.us/html/history_of_bellefontaine.html History of Bellefontaine] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041012030246/http://www.ci.bellefontaine.oh.us/html/history_of_bellefontaine.html |date=2004-10-12 }}, City of Bellefontaine.  Accessed 2009-10-31.</ref><ref>{{gnis|1064407}}</ref><ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Bellefontaine|volume=3}}</ref>
In 1837, the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad built the first railroad to Bellefontaine. This began its reputation as a railroading town. In the 1890s the [[Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway]] (also called the Big Four Railroad) built a main terminal in the city. This terminal boasted the largest [[Railway roundhouse|roundhouse]] between New York and [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Trostel |first=Scott D. |title=The Columbus Avenue Miracle: Bellefontaine, Ohio's WW II Serviceman's Free Canteen |year=2005 |publisher=Cam-Tech Publishing |isbn=0-925436-50-X }}</ref>

Though railroading hit hard times and the industry went through radical restructuring in the late 20th century, and the Big Four terminal ceased operations in 1983, Bellefontaine remains a landmark on America's railways. The city is now just a thoroughfare for CSX.