Years ago, rivers, canals, roads, and railways carved paths through the woodland that would eventually become the Cincinnati suburb of Wyoming. The Miami and Erie Canal first attracted developers to this part of the Mill Creek Valley, creating one of Cincinnati's earliest bedroom communities for big-city industrialists. Wealth allowed them the privilege of living beyond the soot of their own factories and the means to protect this community from industrial sprawl. Smaller homes that now surround the stately Victorian mansions reflect the rise of a solid middle class, which followed the trains and streetcars out of Cincinnati and into the new suburbs. Wyoming's early interest in historic preservation has further established the city's suburban reputation of having tree-lined streets, quiet neighborhoods, and impressive architecture.