Railroads

Railroads. . , James Birkey could clearly see that the importance of the Ohio and Erie Canal was being eclipsed elsewhere by newly-built railroad lines. His foresight led him to recognize that without a railroad connection of its own, Newark would cease to be the center of industry and commerce it had become., Motivated by this thought, and by his own business interests that were at stake, Birkey helped to secure the construction of the Sandusky, Mansfield, and Newark Railroad, which was completed in 1852 and was Newark's first rail line. Soon after, several other railroad connections were made to Newark., The community benefitted from them immensely as the economy grew and the city became recognized as an important center of industry in Central Ohio., The success of businesses like the American Bottle Company, Wehrle Stove Company, and The Heisey Glass Company were all made possible, in part, because of their ability to receive raw materials and ship finished goods on the railroad., 1852 , Sandusky, Mansfield, and Newark Railroad completed., 1860s , B&O Railroad consolidated Newerks early line., 1905 , Newark Roundhouse build., The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad consolidated several of Newark's early rail lines during the 1860's The 850 Railroad was a major force in rail transportation in the United States., Rail travel is still a popular option around the world. Modern rail transport continues to evolve as new technologies are developed., Today… , High-speed trains can travel almost 200 miles per hour!, The B&O Passenger Depot located on Yearly Street., In 1905, the B60 built a roundhouse on East Main Street in Newark, near where the Licking County Justice Center is today. The roundhouse contained 25 stalls for train cars and included a revolving center platform. Visit our collection Inside to see a working scale model of the roundhouse.