Near Granville in Licking County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad
Photographed by Elia J. Prats, December 12, 2006
1. The Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad Marker
Photo caption: Trestle as appeared circa 1920.
The path lies on the rail bed of the Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad, the first railroad constructed through this region in 1877. Primarily a coal hauling line from the mines of the Ohio River valley to northwest Ohio, the T & OC also offered the first passenger line service to the communities of Granville, Alexandria, and Johnston. "Central City", an old name given to the far west edge of Newark, probably got its name as a stop during this busy rail period. The T & OC was bought out in the 1930's by the giant New York Central, which later became the Penn Central in the 1960's.
The last train on this section of track ran in 1970, with this trail being constructed in [illegible]. When this trestle crossing over Raccoon Creek was converted for the bike path, the [illegible] guards were retained for their history. About 5 miles of the original T & OC are still used between Heath and Hebron.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1877.
Location. 40° 3.476′ N, 82° 29.696′ W. Marker is near Granville, Ohio, in Licking County. It is on the T. J. Evans Bike
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Columbus Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and 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 5 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: "Alligator" Mound (approx. 0.9 miles away); College Town House (approx. 1.3 miles away); Utter House (approx. 1.3 miles away); Granville (approx. 1.3 miles away); 223 East Elm Street (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Granville.
More about this marker. The Thomas J. Evans Bike Trail is paved and runs over the former T&CO tracks between Newark and Johnstown through Granville and Alexandria.
Regarding The Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad. The Toledo to Central City (now Newark-Heath) line of the T&OC opened for service in 1881. It was 132.7 miles long. At Central City it connected to the former Atlantic and Lake Erie Railway line from Central City to Bremen that opened in 1876.
At Granville in the 1890s through the 1920s, passengers on the T&OC could transfer to the Newark and Granville Electric Street Railway's interurban for downtown Newark.
Photographed by Elia J. Prats, December 12, 2006
2. Bridge over Raccoon Creek
Marker is out of frame on the right.
Passenger service on the portion of track that is now the bike trail ended before World War II. Freight service continued until 1970.
Also see . . .
1. Toledo and Ohio Central Railway. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on February 17, 2026, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Abandoned Rails of the Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad. Website homepage (Submitted on July 7, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Additional commentary.
1. The Railroad bridge over Racoon Creek.
I grew up in Central City (west Newark) as did my father before me. The locals commonly refered to the railroad bridge as “Black Bridge,” which I still call it today.
— Submitted October 10, 2010, by Dan Young of Newark, Ohio.
Photographed by Elia J. Prats, December 12, 2006
3. Bridge over Raccoon Creek
November 19, 2006
4. Plaque on Granville Depot
November 19, 2006
5. T&OC Granville Depot
Marker is aprox. 1½ Miles east of the depot.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 12, 2006, by Elia J. Prats of Columbus, Ohio. This page has been viewed 6,468 times since then and 128 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 12, 2006, by Elia J. Prats of Columbus, Ohio. 4, 5. submitted on December 14, 2006. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
