The Interurban Bridge, also known as the Ohio Electric Railroad Bridge. is a historic interurban railway reinforced concrete multiple arch bridge built in 1908 to span the Maumee River joining Lucas and Wood counties near Waterville, Ohio. The span was once the world's largest earth-filled reinforced concrete bridge.[2] One of the bridge's supports rests on the Roche de Boeuf, a historic Indian council rock, which was partially destroyed by the bridge's construction.[3] The bridge, which is no longer in use, is a popular subject for photographers and painters, who view it from Farnsworth Metropark.
The bridge has been abandoned for many years. It was constructed by the Lima-Toledo Traction company, an early 1900s interurban trolley line that ran primarily adjacent to the Baltimore and Ohio steam railroad from Toledo to Lima and from there south to Springfield on a connecting interurban line, the Dayton, Springfield, and Urbana. Many Ohio interurban lines struggled financially from inception. In an attempt to create operational efficiency under one management, the L-T along with other Ohio interurbans was brought under lease control of the Ohio Electric corporation to form one large widespread Ohio interurban network. All equipment was relettered and operated as the Ohio Electric.[4] Financially the consolidation didn't work, and when the OE went bankrupt in 1921, the L-T returned to its former owners and operated as the Lima-Toledo Railroad. It continued interurban service between Toledo and Lima using its essential long bridge over the wide Maumee River.
Final railway use by the Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroadedit
In 1929, two adjacent Ohio interurbans (the Cincinnati Hamilton and Dayton, and the Indiana, Columbus and Eastern) combined with the Lima-Toledo to form the 323 mile long Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad to establish interurban service from Toledo to distant Cincinnati. A branch operated from Springfield to Ohio's capital Columbus.[5] The corporate goal was to increase passenger business and particularly interurban freight business in this heavily industrialized part of Ohio. From 1929 to 1930, the C&LE borrowed heavily to rebuild track and purchase new passenger and freight equipment in order to provide high speed operation between its major cities of Toledo, Lima, Springfield, Dayton, and Cincinnati. Starting at 1930, the C&LE was successful and business increased particularly with freight shipments, but the collapsing national and local economy in the following years due to the Great Depression, numerous floods requiring very expensive track and facility reconstruction, competition from newly paved state highways carrying growing automobile and truck competition steadily reduced revenue and forced C&LE abandonment in 1937. This was the last year that the Interurban Bridge saw rail traffic.[6] On June 19, 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
Middleton, Wm D: The Last Interurbans. Central Electric Railfans Association, Chicago, IL.
Professor George Hilton: 1957. The Interurban Electric Railway in America. Stanford Univ Press, California.
Rowsome, Frank: Trolley Car Treasury, pp 209, Bonanza Books, New York, New York.
January 01, 1970
interurban, bridge, also, known, ohio, electric, railroad, bridge, historic, interurban, railway, reinforced, concrete, multiple, arch, bridge, built, 1908, span, maumee, river, joining, lucas, wood, counties, near, waterville, ohio, span, once, world, largest. The Interurban Bridge also known as the Ohio Electric Railroad Bridge is a historic interurban railway reinforced concrete multiple arch bridge built in 1908 to span the Maumee River joining Lucas and Wood counties near Waterville Ohio The span was once the world s largest earth filled reinforced concrete bridge 2 One of the bridge s supports rests on the Roche de Boeuf a historic Indian council rock which was partially destroyed by the bridge s construction 3 The bridge which is no longer in use is a popular subject for photographers and painters who view it from Farnsworth Metropark Interurban BridgeU S National Register of Historic PlacesInterurban Bridge and Roche de BoutShow map of OhioShow map of the United StatesNearest cityWaterville OhioCoordinates41 29 11 N 83 43 42 W 41 48639 N 83 72833 W 41 48639 83 72833Built1908ArchitectNational Bridge Co NRHP reference No 72001036 1 Added to NRHPJune 19 1972 Contents 1 Builder Lima Toledo Traction 2 Final railway use by the Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad 3 Reference and notes 4 Further readingBuilder Lima Toledo Traction editThe bridge has been abandoned for many years It was constructed by the Lima Toledo Traction company an early 1900s interurban trolley line that ran primarily adjacent to the Baltimore and Ohio steam railroad from Toledo to Lima and from there south to Springfield on a connecting interurban line the Dayton Springfield and Urbana Many Ohio interurban lines struggled financially from inception In an attempt to create operational efficiency under one management the L T along with other Ohio interurbans was brought under lease control of the Ohio Electric corporation to form one large widespread Ohio interurban network All equipment was relettered and operated as the Ohio Electric 4 Financially the consolidation didn t work and when the OE went bankrupt in 1921 the L T returned to its former owners and operated as the Lima Toledo Railroad It continued interurban service between Toledo and Lima using its essential long bridge over the wide Maumee River Final railway use by the Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad editIn 1929 two adjacent Ohio interurbans the Cincinnati Hamilton and Dayton and the Indiana Columbus and Eastern combined with the Lima Toledo to form the 323 mile long Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad to establish interurban service from Toledo to distant Cincinnati A branch operated from Springfield to Ohio s capital Columbus 5 The corporate goal was to increase passenger business and particularly interurban freight business in this heavily industrialized part of Ohio From 1929 to 1930 the C amp LE borrowed heavily to rebuild track and purchase new passenger and freight equipment in order to provide high speed operation between its major cities of Toledo Lima Springfield Dayton and Cincinnati Starting at 1930 the C amp LE was successful and business increased particularly with freight shipments but the collapsing national and local economy in the following years due to the Great Depression numerous floods requiring very expensive track and facility reconstruction competition from newly paved state highways carrying growing automobile and truck competition steadily reduced revenue and forced C amp LE abandonment in 1937 This was the last year that the Interurban Bridge saw rail traffic 6 On June 19 1972 it was added to the National Register of Historic PlacesReference and notes edit National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service April 15 2008 Farnsworth Park website Waterville history page Archived 2008 05 14 at the Wayback Machine Keegan chapter 1 Keenan ch 2 and map Keegan ch 6Further reading editKeenan Jack The Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad The Great Ohio Interurban 1974 pp 226 Golden West Books San Marino Calif Middleton Wm D The Interurban Era pp 330 1962 Kalmbach Publishing Milwaukee WI ISBN 0 8902 4003 5 Middleton Wm D The Last Interurbans Central Electric Railfans Association Chicago IL Professor George Hilton 1957 The Interurban Electric Railway in America Stanford Univ Press California Rowsome Frank Trolley Car Treasury pp 209 Bonanza Books New York New York Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Interurban Bridge amp oldid 1002540426, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
