Lorain, Ashland and Southern Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Lorain, Ashland, and Southern Railroad operated from 1914-1925 between Lorain, Ohio
and Custaloga, Ohio. It was a consolidation of the Ashland and Western Railway and the Lorain and Ashland Railroad. The line was purchased in 1916 by the Pennsylvania Railroad
and the Erie Railroad
as a means to access the National Tube Company steel mill in South Lorain, Ohio.
The original rail line, known as the Millersburg, Jeromeville, and Greenwich Railroad, was constructed in 1894-1895 between Brown's Junction, Ohio and Jeromeville, Ohio by Horace B. Camp, a brick manufacturer from Akron, Ohio
. He built a brick and tile plant near Horace and used the railroad to ship his finished products to customers throughout Ohio and New York
.
In 1898-1899 the Ashland and Wooster Railway Company extended the line to Ashland, Ohio
, where it built a large freight and passenger depot and served many large industries in that city.
Horace Camp sold the railroad to Charles W. French in 1903 and the name of the company changed to the Lake and River Railroad, a subsidiary of the Chicago Short Line Railway. After several years of financial difficulties, the line went into receivership and was eventually purchased by Zebulon W. Davis of Canton, Ohio
.
In 1907 the Ashland and Western Railway was sold to former Wabash Railroad
president, Joseph Ramsey Jr. Ramsey had constructed the Lorain and Ashland Railroad between Wellington, Ohio
and Lorain, Ohio.
This line fell into disrepair and it was not until 1913 that the entire system was refurbished and a connector between Ashland and Wellington was completed in 1914.
Because of railroad consolidations, poor condition of the rail line, competition from the Lorain and West Virginia Railroad, and corporate manipulations, the Lorain, Ashland, and Southern Railroad was abandoned in August 1925.
Lorain, Ohio
Lorain is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River, about 30 miles west of Cleveland....
and Custaloga, Ohio. It was a consolidation of the Ashland and Western Railway and the Lorain and Ashland Railroad. The line was purchased in 1916 by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
as a means to access the National Tube Company steel mill in South Lorain, Ohio.
The original rail line, known as the Millersburg, Jeromeville, and Greenwich Railroad, was constructed in 1894-1895 between Brown's Junction, Ohio and Jeromeville, Ohio by Horace B. Camp, a brick manufacturer from Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. He built a brick and tile plant near Horace and used the railroad to ship his finished products to customers throughout Ohio and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
In 1898-1899 the Ashland and Wooster Railway Company extended the line to Ashland, Ohio
Ashland, Ohio
Ashland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Ashland County. The population was 21,249 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Ashland Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, where it built a large freight and passenger depot and served many large industries in that city.
Horace Camp sold the railroad to Charles W. French in 1903 and the name of the company changed to the Lake and River Railroad, a subsidiary of the Chicago Short Line Railway. After several years of financial difficulties, the line went into receivership and was eventually purchased by Zebulon W. Davis of Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
In 1907 the Ashland and Western Railway was sold to former Wabash Railroad
Wabash Railroad
The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including trackage in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Ontario. Its primary connections included Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri, Detroit,...
president, Joseph Ramsey Jr. Ramsey had constructed the Lorain and Ashland Railroad between Wellington, Ohio
Wellington, Ohio
Wellington is a village in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,511 at the 2000 census.-History:Wellington was settled in 1818 by Ephraim Wilcox, Charles Sweet, William T. Welling, John Clifford, and Joseph Wilson from the states of Massachusetts and New York...
and Lorain, Ohio.
This line fell into disrepair and it was not until 1913 that the entire system was refurbished and a connector between Ashland and Wellington was completed in 1914.
Because of railroad consolidations, poor condition of the rail line, competition from the Lorain and West Virginia Railroad, and corporate manipulations, the Lorain, Ashland, and Southern Railroad was abandoned in August 1925.