Lake Erie and Western Railway
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Predecessor | President and Directors of the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad Company, Northern Ohio Railway |
| Founded | 1887-02-10 |
| Fate | Sold to Nickel Plate Road |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Ohio, Indiana, Illinois |
| Parent | New York Central Railroad (1900–1922) |
The Lake Erie and Western Railroad served the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Its principal route extended from Sandusky, Ohio to Peoria, Illinois, traversing important urban centers including Fremont, Ohio, Fostoria, Ohio, Muncie, Indiana, Lafayette, Indiana, and Bloomington, Illinois. Additional main routes linked Indianapolis, Indiana with Michigan City, Indiana and connected Fort Wayne, Indiana to Connersville, Indiana. Notable branch lines stretched between Saint Marys, Ohio and Minster, Ohio, as well as from New Castle, Indiana to Rushville, Indiana.
Among the railroad’s historical landmarks is the Lake Erie and Western Depot Historic District located in Kokomo, Indiana, which was recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
Beginning and growth
Established in Illinois on February 10, 1887, the Lake Erie and Western Railroad—often referred to as the "Natural Gas Route"—was formed through the amalgamation of several railroads dating back to the mid-1800s. Its earliest forerunner was the President and Directors of the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad Company, incorporated in Indiana in 1846. In 1879, the Seney Syndicate unified various short rail lines across Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois into what became the original Lake Erie and Western Railway Company. Over time, further mergers and foreclosure proceedings consolidated the system under the Lake Erie and Western Railroad designation.
Control
The Lake Erie and Western Railroad managed and leased operations of the Northern Ohio Railway and possessed a 10% joint ownership stake in the Peoria and Pekin Union Railway.
In 1900, control transferred to the New York Central Railroad, which maintained it as a distinct subsidiary for approximately twenty years before divesting it to the Nickel Plate in 1922.
Sources
External links
- Defunct Illinois railroads
- Defunct Indiana railroads
- Defunct Ohio railroads
- Predecessors of the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
- Bloomington–Normal
- Fostoria, Ohio
- Former Class I railroads in the United States
- Railway companies established in 1887
- Railway companies disestablished in 1923
- Railroads controlled by the Vanderbilt family
- Predecessors of the Lake Erie and Western Railroad