Interurban Transportation

Interurban Transportation. . In the early 1900’s, advertising could be found in major newspapers proclaiming “Hourly service to Indian Lake, Russells Point and Lakeview.” Interurban Railway Cars were designed by the Ohio electric Company to save gas and transport people to their destinations quicker. The wooden rail cars operated using electric propulsion without soot, smoke and the noise from steam locomotives. They were considered a novelty by those who could afford the ticket fare and Interurban operators often developed resorts along their lines to give folks a reason to buy a ticket and make a journey. Once it was discovered that the DC current used for the early interurban cars could be converted to Ac current with transformers, the electric from the Interurban rail system was tapped by many towns as the first electricity into the town.

The ease of visiting the Indian Lake area was enhanced by this new technology. Hotels, eateries, amusements and an ice cream factory sprang up immediately. Transportation and electricity quickly led to band concerts, and the construction of the first dance hall. “Dreamland” (circa 1911). “Sandee Gables” off the shore of Wolf Island and the “Chatauqua Auditorium” on Orchard Island became other early attractions. In approximately 1939, after many changes in ownership, the Great Depression years and the increased private use of automobiles, the interurban passing by Indian Lake ceased operation. The steel rails and wooden ties have long disappeared but their path can still be seen in the community of Russells Point and throughout the countryside. They serve as a reminder of rich and colorful heritage of the past.