The cache
can be found in the Rotary Park, located at Vermilion's historic
Water Tower and is another in my local history cache series. This
small park has some great history with the Lake Shore Electric
Railway that at one time ran by the park. Enjoy seeking this cache
in beautiful Vermilion Ohio.
At this
site the Lake Shore Electric Railway crossed a bridge that spanned
the Vermilion River. The western abutment of the former bridge is
plainly visible just below along the river bank. Widely known as
the "Greatest Electric Railway in the United States," the flaming
orange trolley cars of the Lake Shore Electric Railway transported
people and freight for thirty-seven years (1901-1938) along the
southern Lake Erie shores from Cleveland to Toledo often reaching
speeds of sixty miles per hour. The interurban line played a
primary role in the development of the western Cleveland suburbs
and also carried throngs of summer visitors to Lake Erie recreation
facilities at Avon Beach Park, Linwood Park, Crystal Beach,
Mitiwanga , Ruggles Grove, Rye Beach, and Cedar Point. The power
lines still standing along the system's right-of-way attest to the
fact that it also assisted in bringing electric power to the entire
region.
From 1901 to 1938 the Lake Shore Electric claimed to
be—and was considered by many—"The Greatest Electric
Railway in the United States." It paralleled the shore of Lake
Erie, connecting Cleveland and Toledo with a high-speed,
limited-stop service and even pioneered a form of inter modal
transportation three decades before the rest of the
industry.
To millions of people the bright orange
electric cars were an economical and comfortable means of escaping
the urban mills and shops, or the humdrum of rural life. In summers
during the glory years there were never enough cars to handle the
crowds seeking weekend retreats to Lake Erie's beaches and
amusement parks. To thousands of mid western newlyweds the Lake
Shore was one of the more enjoyable passages taken on the long but
pleasant trip to Niagara Falls, which included the night boat from
Cleveland to Buffalo.
Reaching its peak in the early 1920s, the
Lake Shore Electric suffered the fate of most of its sister lines:
unfortunate timing. Created as an alternative to dirty, expensive,
and uncomfortable horse drawn carriages and primitive roads, it was
soon competing with automobiles, trucks, and buses on subsidized
highways. It could not rival their convenience. The railway's fixed
costs and construction debt made the struggle economically not
possible to save. So the entire line was torn down, many parts of
the line are bicycle paths today.
