5 0 0 ▁($ ▁in ▁ ▁dollars ) ▁worth ▁of ▁new ▁b onds ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁The ▁Hub b ard ▁Branch ▁was ▁under ▁construction ▁by ▁February ▁ 1 8 6 3 . ▁Initial ly , ▁rail road ▁officials ▁predicted ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁complete ▁by ▁May ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁but ▁the ▁dire ▁need ▁for ▁rail road ▁t ies ▁and ▁rails ▁brought ▁about ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁delayed ▁this , ▁and ▁the ▁Hub b ard ▁Branch ▁was ▁not ▁finished ▁until ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁The ▁ ▁branch ▁extended ▁from ▁the ▁termin us ▁of ▁the ▁C & M ' s ▁main ▁line ▁in ▁Young st own ▁to ▁the ▁Ohio - P en nsylvan ia ▁border . ▁ ▁Comple tion ▁of ▁the ▁C & M ▁to ▁Young st own ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁significant ▁dimin ution ▁of ▁traffic ▁on ▁the ▁nearby ▁Pennsylvania ▁and ▁Ohio ▁Canal . ▁Open ed ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 0 , ▁the ▁canal ▁connected ▁New ▁Castle ▁with ▁Ak ron , ▁Ohio , ▁by ▁following ▁the ▁Mah oning ▁River ▁and ▁then ▁West ▁Branch ▁of ▁the ▁Mah oning ▁River ▁before ▁cutting ▁cross - country ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Kent , ▁Ohio . ▁From ▁there , ▁it ▁largely ▁followed ▁the ▁C uy ah oga ▁River ▁to ▁Ak ron . ▁With ▁the ▁C & M ▁in ▁financial ▁difficulty ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁coal ▁traffic , ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Ohio ▁decided ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁to ▁sell ▁its ▁stock ▁in ▁the