A Travel Guide for the Valley

A Travel Guide for the Valley. . , “What kind of place is this?” Passengers on the Valley Railway, the historic forerunner of Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, may have asked themselves that question as they pulled into a station or passed through the countryside. Author John Reese of Canton hoped to satisfy their curiosity with his 1880 Guide Book for the Tourist and Traveler over the Valley Railway! The paperback publication, which sold for 25 cents, promised “a complete description of the scenery and objects of interest along the road.” For passengers who spent hours peering out the windows, the Guide Book was probably a welcome companion., Today, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR) continues the tradition of tourism and recreation. Traveling along the route of the former Valley Railway, CVSR provides excursion service through Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor. The scenery remains a prime attraction, but passengers also enjoy links to the Tow path Trail, local museums, and unique shopping areas., [Captions:] , In addition to its vivid descriptions, the Guide Book supplied a series of illustrations and pages of advertisements for the enjoyment of riders on the Valley Railway., The first page of the Guide Book for the Tourist and Traveler over the Valley Railway! Encouraged readers to “keep this before you as you ride along.”, Brecksville Depot, 1920s. Typical of the content and style of the Guide Book is this 1880 description of the Brecksville community: “…The village is two miles from the depot….It is pleasantly located and contains the town hall, a very handsome school building, a Presbyterian and a Methodist Church, several stores and a number of very fine residences. For the past eight years a cheese factory has been in successful operation…”