01/11/2024
The Ohio Electric Interurban Building (Now serving as the Allen County Health Department)
219 E Market Street, Lima, Ohio.
In the late 1800’s, Lima, due to it’s central location, was becoming the center of rail transportation, the link to Chicago from the east, and to the Midwest from the Atlantic Coast, as well as the link to the north for Cincinnati, Dayton and to the south for Detroit & Toledo. Lima became the station center for the railroads whose shops provided employment to a large amount of craftsmen.
In 1910, the Ohio Electric Railway Company opened this terminal, formerly the Interurban Building, which served interurban passengers until 1937. Along with offices, it contained space for express and baggage handling, ticket windows, a newsstand, a lunch counter, and waiting rooms. Three tracks were laid at the rear of the building. At its peak, Ohio Electric radiated from Lima to Springfield, Toledo (via Ottawa), Defiance, and Fort Wayne. Its competitor, The Western Ohio Railway (“Lima Route”) connected Dayton and Toledo (via Findlay). The interurban network in and around Lima led to the creation of suburbs, linked industrial and residential areas, and promoted the creation of amusement parks and small lake resorts. With decreased passenger traffic due in part to personal automobiles and the Great Depression, the interurban and street railway era in Lima ended in 1939, 52 years after it had begun as Ohio’s first successful electric streetcar system.
Sources: Historic-Structures.com, RemarkableOhio.org, The Historical Marker Database
