Lost Columbus: Columbus Was Once the Hub of an ‘Interurban’ Train Network Across Ohio

The streetcars came first. As Columbus grew after the Civil War, urban transportation became an issue, solved by street railways built initially along major routes such as High Street. With growth of residential areas, new lines radiated outward. Horse-drawn at first, streetcars became electric-powered by the late 19th century, providing faster, more frequent and less aromatic transportation. By the early 1900s, no Columbusite lived more than about three blocks from a streetcar line. 

But how about getting from Columbus to other places? The automobile developed rapidly with Henry Ford’s manufacturing and marketing innovations, but narrow, unpaved roads made travel outside settled areas an often iffy proposition. Ohio, by this time, was blessed with many miles of steam railroads, but their passenger trains didn’t stop everywhere. Lots of small towns and crossroad communities, as well as various businesses, were left with few options for getting around or shipping goods.  

Enter the electric interurban railroad, a technology that built upon the success of the city streetcars and filled that transportation gap. The first Ohio interurban opened in 1887, between Granville and Newark, and was known for personal services such as tossing daily newspapers off at trackside homes. By the first decade of the 20th century, interurban construction was reaching a peak: Ohio would take the prize for having more interurban mileage than any other state. Eventually, nine interurban lines ran in all directions from Columbus—to Marion, Cleveland, Zanesville, Lancaster, Chillicothe, Orient, Springfield, Dayton, Cincinnati, Toledo and, by connecting with other lines, hundreds of other places. The city’s extensive street railway trackage enabled the interurbans to converge at a single freight and passenger depot at the northwest corner of Third and Rich streets. But it was not to last. The “Good Roads” movement around World War I brought on the era of publicly owned and paved highways; this and the improving quality and convenience of the automobile spelled the interurbans’ doom. The last car departed Downtown Columbus in 1938, and the city streetcars were gone a decade later. 

All is not lost, however. One last true interurban still remains, between downtown Chicago and South Bend, Indiana, and it’s actually expanding. But don’t expect to see one in the Buckeye State anytime soon.  

Sources: Hilton and Due, “The Electric Interurban Railways in America”; Keenan, “Cincinnati & Lake Erie Railroad”; The Central Electric Traffic Association, interurban map dated 1920; columbusrailroads.com  

This story is from the September 2023 issue of Columbus Monthly.