Sylvania in Lucas County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Toledo and Western Railway Company

— Ohio Historical Marker —

Photographed by Dale K. Benington, May 20, 2016

1. Toledo and Western Railway Company Marker

Close up view of side A of the marker.

Inscription.
Side A

Toledo and Western Railway Company

Sylvania was once the headquarters for the Toledo and Western Railway, an electric interurban line that provided service between Toledo and Pioneer with a branch line to Adrian, Michigan. Construction began here in 1900 with planning and specifications set to steam railroad standards. With completion of rails, a powerhouse, maintenance facilities, and offices, the Toledo and Western Railway Company was soon in the business of providing freight and passenger service and was especially competitive as it owned more freight engines than most interurban lines. Operating an electric interurban line also meant that the company had the ability to provide electricity to people living in Sylvania and to other communities and property owners living along the line's right-of-way. Besides freight, passengers, and electricity, Toledo and Western also provided postal service, one of the first interurban lines to do so.
[continued on other side]
Side B

Toledo and Western Railway Company

[continued from other side] Interurban lines, such as the Toledo and Western Railway Company,

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

were an important means of transportation for all people in the early twentieth century. However they were especially vital to rural residents as they offered them the opportunity to enjoy the cultural, educational, and economic advantages of nearby urban centers like Toledo. All this was not to last however. Like the canal era that ended with the coming of railroads and interurban lines, the railways were doomed by improved roads and increasing use of cars, trucks, and buses. The Great Depression of the 1930s that brought loss of freight business further eroded the profitability of the interurban lines. For the Toledo and Western Railway Company, freight business declined, passenger service ended in 1932, and the company was totally abandoned in 1935.

Erected 2008 by City of Sylvania and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 54-48.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1900.

Location. 41° 42.865′ N, 83° 42.192′ W.

Photographed by Dale K. Benington, May 20, 2016

2. Toledo and Western Railway Company Marker

Close up view of side B of the marker.

Marker is in Sylvania, Ohio, in Lucas County. It is on South Main Street south of Monroe Street, on the right when traveling north. This marker faces the west side of the roadway, and is located on a very narrow strip of landscaping, situated between the sidewalk and the Sautter's Food Center's parking lot, very near the bridge that spans the Ottawa River. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5505 South Main Street, Sylvania OH 43560, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Lake Erie Shore

and in the Toledo Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

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 Viceroyalty of New France,

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: Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct

Photographed by Dale K. Benington, May 20, 2016

3. Toledo and Western Railway Company Marker

View of the marker, looking south along South Main Street, with a view of the nearby bridge over the Ottawa River.

line); Remembering With Honor (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Lathrops of Sylvania, Lucas County, Ohio (approx. 0.2 miles away); Sylvania Heritage Museum (approx. ¼ mile away); Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor) (approx. ¼ mile away); Sister City Garden (approx. ¼ mile away); Log Home (approx. ¼ mile away); Sylvania Historical Village (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sylvania.

Photographed by Dale K. Benington, May 20, 2016

4. Toledo and Western Railway Company Marker

View of the marker, looking north along South Main Street.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on May 20, 2016, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,352 times since then and 78 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 20, 2016, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.