On September 25, 1857, the Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad was chartered in Indiana to build a line from Logansport northwest to Valparaiso. That line opened in 1861, connecting at Valparaiso with the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway to Chicago. The Cincinnati and Chicago Air–Line opened a bridge over the Wabash River at Logansport on September 25, 1861, connecting it to the Chicago and Cincinnati. Joint operation between Richmond and Chicago began July 1, 1862 and ended January 29, 1865.
On May 15, 1865, the Chicago and Great Eastern Railway absorbed the Cincinnati and Chicago Air–Line Railroad and Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad.
On February 12, 1868, the Columbus, Chicago and Indiana Central Railway was formed as a merger of the Columbus and Indiana Central Railway and Chicago and Great Eastern Railway.
Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway made a better offer on January 22, 1869, leasing the Columbus, Chicago and Indiana Central Railway on February 1.