 It was originally chartered to build from Cincinnati to Hamilton, Ohio, and then to Dayton, a distance of ; further construction and acquisition extended the railroad, and by 1902 it owned or controlled of railroad.Its stock and bond value plunged in late 1905 after "financial mismanagement of the properties" was revealed.The original CH&D was founded by John Alexander Collins, who was born on June 8, 1815 in Staffordshire, England.