Growth and development next came to Saint Marys in the form of another new sound - the train whistle. Our neighboring community of Wapakoneta had so profited by the Dayton and Michigan Railroad that it was becoming almost as large and important as was Saint Marys. As old Charley Murray had said so often, "Transportation - you gotta have." The iron horse was eventually to replace the old gray mule of the tow path. The Lake Erie and Louisville Railroad Company had surveyed the path of their fledgling enterprise and had planned to build a line through this area. By the time Saint Marys was reached in 1873, the Company had not only changed ownership but direction as well. The goal was now St. Louis and the name changed accordingly to Lake Erie and Western. Later changes in ownership of this road made it a part of the Nickleplate and today is part of the Norfolk and Western.

Only one time did the citizens of Saint Marys forget the adage of its earliest resident. They were asked at one time to raise $75,000 to help with the cost of a new rail line connecting Pittsburgh and Chicago. Saint Marys turned down this opportunity. Lima not only raised the requested sum but even more if the new road would locate its repair shops at that place. Eventualty the giant Lima Locomotive Works was a direct result.

Whether this failure to become a huge sprawling, smoky, grimy, industrial city can be termed a disaster depends on the point of view of the resident. In any case, Saint Marys has remained a beautiful city where living can be a pleasure and where commerce and agriculture blend a native population into a culture recognized as typically midwest American.

Saint Marys was the victim of several other events that occurred at a much earlier date. When this area was laid out by the State Legislature in 1820, the County of Mercer contained the western half of present Auglaize County. In 1824 the proprietors of Saint Marys, Murray, Houston, and McCorkle gave the County Commissioners 31 of the 68 plotted lots. These were sold by the Commissioners to raise funds for the establishment of the county to build a courthouse, a jail and provide operating monies. By virtue of this gift, the new county was successfully established. Sixteen years later, in 1840 the controlling votes of the Commissioners passed to elected members of the western most parts of Mercer County. They wanted the county seat to be closer to themselves. Consequently they moved the courthouse and all to Celina, much to the unhappiness of Saint Marys.

A few years later, in 1848, a new county of Auglaize was formed along lines that are existant today. An election was held soon to choose a site for the new county seat. Wapakoneta wanted it as being close to the geographical center, while Saint Marys pushed its claim of being nearer the center of population. The eastern part of the new county was then, as now, less populated while New Bremen, Minster and New Knoxville were thriving communities tied with Saint Marys by canal commerce. Saint Marys was heavily favored by virtue of the support of its neighbors; however, the vote was close with Wapakoneta being declared the winner. It wasn't until sometime later it was discovered that the ballots of New Bremen and Minster had "mysteriously" failed to arrive and were never counted! Such are the seeds of discord that breed lasting bitterness between peoples!

These minor reverses did not slow the steady growth of the city nor did they make it a less interesting place to live. one calamity did befall the entire area. Striking in several waves between 1849 and 1855, the deadly cholera epidemic swept through much of this entire state. In Saint Marys 20 percent or one of every five persons died of this sudden killer. Characterized by cramps, fever, diarrhea and vomiting, many died within hours of the first symptoms. Church records in New Bremen show that 150 persons of a community of 700 died in 1849 alone. One story has it that a farmer living several miles in the country, seeing his wife having these symptoms, saddled a horse and came quickly to town for help. When he reined up at the doctor's office, he fell from his mount. Within a few minutes he was dead. His friends in town went immediately to the farmer's home only to find the wife and one child already expired while two children, healthy but hungry, played on the kitchen floor. Those were dismal heart breaking days. Families re-formed taking care of nieces and nephews, in laws and step-children as life was still for the living and time went on to better days.