Just how many local times there were is not known, but the extent of confusion is shown by the fact that Wisconsin had 38 different local times, Illinois 27, and Indiana 23. Prior to 1883, the nation’s railroads were operating on as many as 100 different times! In one large Eastern city there were actually six varying time standards governing arrivals and departures of trains. A traveler going from Maine to California would have to change his watch dozens of times.
When it was noon in Chicago it was 12:31 in Pittsburgh, 12:24 in Cleveland, 12:17 in Toledo, 12:13 in Cincinnati, 12:09 in Louisville, 12:07 in Indianapolis, 11:50 in St. Louis, 11:48 in Dubuque, 11:41 in St. Paul, and 11:27 Omaha.