Ohio Electric Railway
| Company type | Interurban railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | May 16, 1907 |
| Founder | Randal Morgan, W. Kesley Schoepf, Hugh J. McGowan |
| Defunct | 1921 |
| Fate | Declared bankruptcy and dissolved |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Ohio |
The Ohio Electric Railway was an interurban railroad created in 1907 through the merger of fourteen smaller interurban lines. It grew to become the largest interurban system in Ohio, linking the cities of Toledo, Lima, Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati. At its height, the network encompassed of track. Despite its extensive operations, the company faced ongoing financial difficulties, ultimately declaring bankruptcy in 1921 and breaking apart into its original constituent railways.
History
Formed on May 16, 1907, the Ohio Electric Railway was founded by Randal Morgan, W. Kesley Schoepf, and Hugh J. McGowan. Between September 1907 and 1908, it expanded by acquiring or leasing fourteen different companies that constituted its system:
- Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo Traction
- Columbus and Lake Michigan Railroad
- Columbus, Buckeye Lake and Newark Traction
- Columbus, Grove City and South Western Railway
- Columbus, London and Springfield Railway
- Dayton and Muncie Traction
- Dayton and Western Traction Company
- Dayton, Springfield and Urbana Electric Railway
- Fort Wayne, Van Wert and Lima Traction Company
- Indiana Columbus and Eastern Traction
- Lima and Toledo Traction
- Lima Electric Railway and Light
- Springfield and Western Railway
- Urbana, Bellefontaine and Northern Railway
Throughout its operation, the company never issued dividends and incurred a $1.5 million loss due to the 1913 Great Dayton Flood. In 1918, it divested the Cincinnati–Dayton route to the Cincinnati and Dayton Traction firm, followed by a complete sale of the Dayton and Western Traction in 1920. The railway filed for bankruptcy in 1921, which resulted in its dissolution; several of its component companies also went bankrupt but continued functioning independently. Some of these entities later combined to establish the Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad in 1930.