The earliest railroad to serve Fulton County was the Northern Cross Railroad which ran from Quincy to Galesburg where it met the Central Military Tract Railroad. The citizens of Avon lobbied hard and provided a $10,000 subscription to get it routed through Avon. The first train run of the Northern Cross passed through Avon on January 31, 1856. The railroad ultimately became part of the C.B.&Q Railroad (now the BNSF Railroad).
