The Electric Interurban Railway
- Mary Mortimer
- Aug 1
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 5
The Electric Interurban Railway line was a system of rails that linked many of the large towns and cities in Ohio during the first part of the 20th century. The interurban in west central Ohio connected Cincinnati to Lake Erie in Toledo. Part of this route ran through Logan County.
As the name implies, electricity powered the trains usually from lines buried beneath the rails. The trains carried both freight and people; however, it was mostly used as a passenger train. It was a fast and convenient way to travel to another town or to recreation areas like Silver Lake and Indian Lake.
The first traction line in Logan County was completed in Bellefontaine in December of 1902. The Urbana, Bellefontaine & Northern Railway electric line began south of Lake Ave. (Iron City) and stopped in the 100 block of N. Main St. For the first voyage, U.B. & N. executives, city officials and newspaper members rode the trolley car the length of the track. A Bellefontaine newspaper reported “The track is smooth, the speed all that could be desired and the car was lighted and heated by electricity.” The four-wheeler made regular trips back and forth through town and could be operated from either end. The single streetcar was on loan from Arthur Appleyard’s Central Market St. Railway in Columbus.
In 1903, the traction line was extended down W. Columbus Ave. to Troy Rd. where it ran south to Silver Lake, a popular resort at that time, and now known as Camp Willson. The traction depot was located in the 200 block of S. Main St. in Bellefontaine. The trolley was especially popular during fair week.
The Daily Examiner reported on September 3, 1903, that "the cars are running on the Silver
Lake Branch of the Urbana, Bellefontaine & Northern Electric Line for ten cents per round trip.
It is expected to have the car make the trip every half hour." The Big Four Railroad also had a
stop at Silver Lake, but the trolley offered more frequent service during the summer months.
Starting in the winter of 1904, the Interurban cars were used by the Silver Lake Ice & Coal Co. to transport ice to their Bellefontaine facility. Transporting ice by railcar instead of using teams of horses was a great savings in time.
The U.B.& N. connected Urbana and Bellefontaine by passing through West Liberty. The rails were laid through the center of town on Detroit St. It was reported in June 1904, that “the trolley car made the trip from Urbana to Bellefontaine Sunday night in one hour and ten minutes.” The interurban stopped at every crossing, whether to pick up a passenger or a milk can.
The U.B.&N. along with several other companies, merged to form the Indiana Columbus & Eastern Traction Co. The I.C.&E. became part of the Ohio Electric Railway when it was formed in May 1907. The new company acquired or leased fourteen smaller interurban railways. It was Ohio's largest interurban, connecting Toledo, Lima, Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati. At its peak, it operated 617 miles of track.
The O.E.R. leased the Indiana Columbus & Eastern Traction line that ran from Lima to Bellefontaine, Lakeview, Russells Point, and Huntsville. The Bellefontaine Index Republican
reported on July 9, 1908, “The first trolley car over the new traction line rolled into Huntsville about half past twelve o’clock last Tuesday afternoon from the north. A crowd of expectant people were at the station to greet the arrival, and the unfamiliar trolley whistle aroused a thrill of enthusiasm as the car came around the curve.” Huntsville was also the location of the O.E.R. power station that also provided light and power for the village.
Trips in the O.E.R. “big green cars” only took several minutes from Bellefontaine to Indian Lake. This ease in transportation by the O.E.R helped make Indian Lake into a tourist attraction for people from all over Ohio. The West Liberty Banner reported on April 8, 1915, “During last season, the Ohio Electric carried 85,484 people to Indian Lake, and 16,666 Columbus people were hauled there by the T.&O.C. Railway.”
In May 1916, it was reported that 500,000 pickerel were brought to Indian Lake from Put-In-Bay to replace the hundreds of fish that were being caught at the Lake. The fish were
transported via the Cincinnati Hamilton & Dayton Railroad from Toledo and were then
transferred to a car on the Ohio Electric Railway to Indian Lake. "Approximately half were
put in the reservoir at Lewistown, close to Stubbs Landing, while the remainder were taken on to Russells Point.
Unfortunately, the Ohio Electric Railway proved to be financially unsound. It paid no dividends during its corporate existence, and it lost a great amount of money during the Great Flood of 1913. The end came in 1920 when the company went bankrupt and was dissolved into its constituent companies that were still able to operate. At that time, the I.C.&E. came back into being. After suffering financial difficulties, a new high speed electric railway company was formed in 1929 under the name of the Cincinnati & Lake Erie Railroad with service from Cincinnati to Dayton, Springfield, Columbus, Bellefontaine, Lima, and Toledo.
The line was upgraded with new tracks, and they purchased twenty lightweight aluminum cars, capable of 90 miles per hour speeds. “These ‘Red Devil’ cars also featured lounge solariums and porters riding aboard in Pullman style.”
In July 1933, a Cincinnati & Lake Erie Traction car collided with an automobile near West Liberty. The traction car derailed, injuring thirty of the forty passengers. The driver of the car, George Fluhrer, claimed dust from the dirt road blocked his view of the tracks. He suffered minor injuries in the accident.
With the introduction of the automobile, and better road systems, the traction lines began to lose popularity and business. The last C.&L.E. passenger train passed through Bellefontaine in 1937.
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