The War's Supply Line
Systems map of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway's Operations during World War II.
Wooster’s railways would play a pivotal role in transporting materials as the country mobilized for World War II in 1938. The Baltimore & Ohio line (formerly the Pennsylvania & Ohio line, which was bought out in 18991) ferried cargo between the east and west coasts of the country, sending raw materials to factories so that tanks, planes, and guns could be manufactured. Wooster’s farmers were responsible for producing food for the army, and used the railways to quickly move crops to the city to be shipped out.2
A steamer using the Pennsylvania & Ohio Company's line to transport freight to Cleveland for the war effort.
For the home front, this meant that leisurely travel by train happened less frequently—the army received higher priority than citizens did for using the trains. The depot remained busy as ever. Boxcars flowed in and out of Wooster, carrying and taking goods wherever they were needed.3
1 “A History of Wayne County, Ohio: Compiled and Edited By Members of the Wayne County History Book Committee.” (Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company, 1987). Accessed through Genealogy department of the Wayne County Public Library.
2 Landeck, Carl, & Roger Thorne. “The Pennsylvania Railroad During World War II”. Tredyffin Easttown Historical Society. Page 3.
3 Landeck & Thorne, 6.