Elyria in Lorain County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Tragedy at 5th Street and Middle Avenue
Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 24, 2019
1. Tragedy at 5th Street and Middle Avenue Marker
On Memorial Day in 1907, interurban car 123 crashed into the rear of interurban car 129 at the intersection of 5th Street and Middle Avenue. Eight passengers died including Homer Allen, son of Elyria businessman Edgar F. Allen. Inadequate hospital facilities are believed to have contributed to some of the deaths. After the accident, Allen dedicated himself to fundraising for better hospital facilities in Elyria. Allen's efforts came to fruition with the opening of Elyria Memorial Hospital in 1908 and the Gates Hospital for Crippled Children in 1915. In 1915. In 1919, the Elyria Rotary Club endorsed E.F. Allens plan to help crippled children. The plan helped to establish international "crippled childrens societies" and the Easter Seals organization.
Erected 2012 by Elyria Rotary Club, Lorain County Historical Society, Elyria City Schools and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 29-47.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection,
this page online
Location. 41° 21.758′ N, 82° 6.44′ W. Marker is in Elyria, Ohio, in Lorain County. It is at the intersection of Middle Avenue and 5th Street, on the right when traveling south on Middle Avenue. It is at the Elyria High School, in a small park at the corner of Middle Avenue and 5th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 601 Middle Ave, Elyria OH 44035, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland, on the Lake Erie Shore, and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: King Solomon Lodge No. 56 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Saint Mary's Church (about
Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 24, 2019
2. Tragedy at 5th Street and Middle Avenue Memorial Park and Marker
The names of the passengers who lost their lives are inscribed on the eight stones in front of the eight trees that surround the marker. They are Homer Allen, W.C. Allen, Henry Billings, Margaret Butler, Edward O'Donnell, Charles Porter, Donald Sala, and Eunice Wurst.
Regarding Tragedy at 5th Street and Middle Avenue. The interurban electric railway cars through Elyria in 1907 were operated by the Cleveland, Southwestern and Columbus Railway. At that time roadways were few and poor and relatively fast transportation between cities were by rail. Unlike steam powered trains, interurban electric trains were much faster and could reach 70 miles an hour on straight track out in the country between towns. The Southwestern was the second largest interurban railroad in Ohio, with electrically powered rail lines radiating out from Cleveland to the south and west.
Back in the early 20th century, folks liked to take the train to countryside on weekends and holidays for picnics and open-air concerts. To handle the
Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 24, 2019
3. Tragedy at 5th Street and Middle Avenue Memorial Park and Marker
An image of an interurban car has been painted on the pavement. It reads “Tragedy Car 123, May 30, 1907.”
Additional keywords. Interurban Electric Railroads
U.S. Bureau of the Census photograph via Wikipedia Commons, 1902
4. An Interurban Electric Car of the Era
The Cleveland, Elyria & Western Railway was a predecessor of the Cleveland, Southwestern & Columbus Railway. These cars were made of wood on a steel chassis.
By Albert Belmont Graham via The Ohio History Connection, circa 1907
5. Interurban Car for Rural Children Attending Elyria Schools
Caption: “A group of boys and girls from Lorain County, Ohio posed outside the Cleveland & Southwestern inter-urban car that they rode to school in Elyria, Ohio, circa 1907.”
Credits. This page was last revised on August 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 2, 2020, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,559 times since then and 76 times this year. Last updated on August 28, 2026, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 2, 2020, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
