 Kent 's location along the Cuyahoga River and later the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal and multiple railroad lines made it attractive initially for the establishment of small gristmills for the production of flour and various factories . Progressively larger factories later developed due to increased power available from the river and eventually due to the ease and lower cost of transportation of goods to other markets . During the latter half of the 19th century and into the early 20th century , the city 's largest employers were all industrially based , including the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad and its successors , which operated its main maintenance shops in the village ; the Seneca Chain Company ; and bus manufacturer Twin Coach among others . A disastrous fire at the Seneca Chain Company in 1909 led to the creation of the Kent Board of Trade — an early Chamber of Commerce — which was successful in getting Kent selected in 1910 as the site of what would become Kent State University . 
