Ohio Electric Railway

The Ohio Electric Railway was an interurban railroad formed in 1907 with the consolidation of 14 smaller interurban railways. It was Ohio's largest interurban, connecting Toledo, Lima, Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati. At its peak it operated of track. Never financially healthy, the company went bankrupt in 1921 and was dissolved into its constituent companies.

History

The Ohio Electric Railway was formed on May 16, 1907. The organizers of the new company were Randal Morgan, W. Kesley Schoepf, and Hugh J. McGowan. Beginning in September 1907 and continuing into 1908 the new company acquired or leased the fourteen other companies which would comprise its system:

[Cincinnati, Dayton, Ohio|Dayton and Toledo, Ohio|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
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

The Ohio Electric proved to be financially unsound. It paid no dividends during its corporate existence and lost $1.5 million as a result of the Great Dayton Flood in 1913. In 1918 it spun off its Cincinnati–Dayton line to the Cincinnati and Dayton Traction company. This trend continued in 1920 when spun off the Dayton and Western Traction in its entirety. The end came in 1921: the company went bankrupt and dissolved. Most of the constituent companies went bankrupt as well, but continued operating. Several companies would later come together to form the Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad in 1930.