Little Miami Railroad

Last updated January 17, 2024

Map

The Little Miami Railroad was a railway of southwestern Ohio, running from the eastern side of Cincinnati to Springfield, Ohio. By merging with the Columbus and Xenia Railroad in 1853, it created the first through-rail route from the important manufacturing city of Cincinnati to the state capital, Columbus. In this period, railroads were important for creating connections between the important waterways of the Great Lakes and the Ohio River, which were major transportation routes for products to other markets.

History
Cincinnati to Milford and Loveland constructed
Opened to Waynesville
Opened to Xenia
Completion to Springfield
1850s upgrades and shift in transportation patterns
Growth through mergers
Absorbed into the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis RR
From PRR to Conrail
Conversion to rail trail
See also
Further reading
References

The LMRR's importance declined later in the 19th century, after three major railroads from the East built lines across the Allegheny Mountains and established east–west transportation systems through the state. It continued independent operations until 1981, after being absorbed by Conrail during the period of extensive railroad restructuring in the late 20th century.

History

The Little Miami was incorporated on March 11, 1836. Its first president, who served without pay, was Jeremiah Morrow, governor of Ohio. It was the second railroad incorporated in the state of Ohio. The first meeting to sell stock was held at Linton's Hotel, Waynesville, May 13, 1836; the second on June 2, 1836 in Xenia. The railroad was originally intended to run from Cincinnati to Springfield, where it was expected meet the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad, which was building south to Springfield from Sandusky on Lake Erie.

At the time of incorporation, the federal National Road had not yet reached Columbus. Other than trails, the main shipping route for the Great Lakes region to the rest of the nation to the east of the Allegheny Mountains suitable for trade was via the rivers leading to the Great Lakes and from there, to points east along the Erie Canal and south on the Hudson River to the major port of New York City. Winter rendered transportation over the Alleghenies impracticable for large shipments, and the Erie Canal was subject to freezing. The only alternative winter shipping route to points east was a lengthy circuitous southern route by riverboat down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans for transhipment east. The entire regions adjacent to the Great Lakes lacked waterway access to the Ohio River for shipment of their products. Ohio had a rather extensive network of canals under construction by this time, to provide such access, but their waters also froze in winter.

The Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad was projected to run from Sandusky on Lake Erie south to a proposed interchange at Springfield, where trains could be shifted to the Little Miami to proceed to Cincinnati. This would provide the Great Lakes region and its products with year-round access to the rest of the nation, as access to any of the ships then sailing on the Great Lakes meant access to the proposed railroad link to the Ohio River. The proposal that the two railroads would closely cooperate was projected to result in one of the major trade routes of the era, and of particular importance during winter months.

Cincinnati to Milford and Loveland constructed

On December 14, 1841, the first train ran from Cincinnati to Milford, a distance of 20 miles (32 km) along the Little Miami River,^[1] and preparations had been made to lay rails north along the river to Fosters. Additional track was opened to Loveland the next year.

Opened to Waynesville

The road's surveyors ran a route along the Little Miami River past Kings Mills to South Lebanon, up Turtle Creek to Lebanon, Ohio, and thence to Waynesville. However, at a grade of 33 feet (10 m) to the mile, it was too steep for current locomotives. The city of Lebanon pleaded for the company to reconsider, but the route was instead laid along the river to what would become the towns of Morrow, Fort Ancient (where the gorge is 300 feet (91 m) deep and where the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge today stands), Mathers Mills, Oregonia, and to Waynesville (which was on the opposite shore). This country is still sparsely populated. Had the directors waited a few years, more powerful locomotives that could climb the grades would have been available.

Opened to Xenia

The road was pushed northward and the line to Xenia, the seat of Greene County, opened in August 1845.

Completion to Springfield

The road was completed to Springfield and inaugurated on August 10, 1846, bringing the total route-miles of its main line to 84 miles (135 km). This resulted in Springfield having railway service before the state capital Columbus. By this time, the National Road had also reached Springfield. The Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad had encountered difficulties in raising capital, and construction was delayed for three years in reaching Springfield. This postponed the completion of the link between the Great Lakes area and the Ohio River. The railroad's terminus at Springfield was of little importance prior to completion of the second railroad.

The company found favorable conditions to build a line to Columbus diverging from the Little Miami mainline at Xenia, and its management worked to organize the Columbus and Xenia Railroad. From Xenia, a connection was built to link to the Columbus and Xenia Railroad, its partner. The two companies combined their operations, but did not formally merge, on November 30, 1853. By 1856, the Little Miami had 116.25 miles (187.09 km) of track, and the C&X had 63.25 miles (101.79 km). The two lines formed the only rail link between Cincinnati and the state capital at the time.

1850s upgrades and shift in transportation patterns

Revenues from local agricultural shipments were promising enough to enable the line to upgrade to heavier rails and make other improvements during the 1850s. By this time, the line gained the reputation for being one of the best-run lines in the nation. But by 1853, the first of the three railway systems from the Eastern Seaboard that would be built across the Alleghenies and reach Ohio had linked up with the growing railway network in place in Ohio. It became possible to travel from western Ohio to points in the East. Ultimately the New York Central Railroad, the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad all reached Ohio from the East.

The Hillsboro and Cincinnati Railroad was chartered in 1846 to run a line between Hillsboro and O'Bannon Creek in Loveland on the Little Miami's route. By 1850, the H&C had completed the 37 miles (60 km) to Hillsboro. The H&C would lease its line in perpetuity to the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad; this ultimately became the mainline of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in the area. The new construction upended the established trade routes in Ohio, which had been along a north–south axis to get goods or passengers either to Lake Erie or the Ohio River. The Lake Erie and Mad River Railroad had reached Springfield in 1849, but within a few years, as trans-Allegheny railroads reached into Ohio, they supplanted that line in importance. The most important traffic pattern shifted irrevocably to an east–west-oriented axis. The mainline of the Little Miami Railroad beyond Xenia to Springfield declined in importance to a branch. The Little Miami maintained its Columbus route, but looked to the West when projecting for the future.

Growth through mergers

The Little Miami Railroad leased in perpetuity all assets of the C&X on March 18, 1869, while the C&X continued to exist as a separate corporation. At that time, the LMRR had 123.49 miles (198.74 km) of track and the C&X 75.33 miles (121.23 km). It would later acquire 42 miles (68 km) of Dayton and Western Railroad track by lease in 1864 and 16.5 miles (26.6 km) from the Dayton and Xenia Railroad.

The Little Miami joined the Cincinnati and Indiana Railroad in 1862 in building track along the riverfront in Cincinnati to link their two depots. The LMRR and the C&X together bought the Dayton, Xenia and Belpre Railroad in January 1865.

Absorbed into the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis RR

On February 23, 1870, the Little Miami Railroad leased in perpetuity, renewable forever, all of its assets, including the DX&B, the D&W, and the C&X, to the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway, retroactive to December 1, 1869. The rent was $480,000 per year. The PC&St.L was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the Pennsy co-signed the lease, guaranteeing the payments and other conditions. At the time of the lease, the LMRR system consisted of 195.65 miles (314.87 km) of track. The system had cost $3,995,165 in track, right-of-way, and facilities, plus $1,065,968 in rolling stock, machinery, and a boat on the Ohio River. On August 28, 1890, the PC&St.L. merged with several other railroads to emerge as the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway.

On the Little Miami River between Kings Mills, Ohio and South Lebanon was Middletown Junction. Here the Middletown and Cincinnati Railroad track met the LMRR.

The Lake Erie and Mad River Railroad, initially considered a company for a close relationship with the Little Miami, was absorbed into the competing New York Central system. The Little Miami's most serious competitor, the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway (1895–1917), became part of the competitive Baltimore and Ohio system.

From PRR to Conrail

The LMRR continued to exist as a separate corporation although much of the stock was owned by the Pennsy. In the mid-20th century, there was extensive railroad restructuring following changes in the industry, which had been affected by the expansion of trucking and use of passenger automobiles following construction of the interstate highway system. When the Pennsy's successor, the Penn Central company, collapsed into bankruptcy in 1970, the LMRR was still active. It was absorbed by Conrail and merged out of existence December 23, 1981.

Conversion to rail trail

Together with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the local governments of Xenia and Yellow Springs purchased parts of the abandoned right of way from 1973 to 1983.^[2] In 1979, during negotiations to purchase the right of way from Terrace Park to Spring Valley for a rail trail and possible heritage railroad, the ODNR allowed Penn Central to salvage much of the abandoned rails and ties.^[3] The Little Miami Scenic Trail was built along the former LMRR in stages beginning in 1983,^[4]^[5] with the final portion opening in 2006.^[6]

Related Research Articles

The Pennsylvania Railroad, legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia. It was named for the commonwealth in which it was established. At its peak in 1882, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest railroad, the largest transportation enterprise, and the largest corporation in the world.

The Little Miami Scenic Trail is the fourth longest paved trail in the United States, running 78.1 miles (125.7 km) through five southwestern counties in the state of Ohio. The multi-use rail trail sees heavy recreational use by hikers and bicyclists, as well as the occasional horseback rider. Over 700,000 people made use of the trail in 2014.

The Miami and Erie Canal was a 274-mile (441 km) canal that ran from Cincinnati to Toledo, Ohio, creating a water route between the Ohio River and Lake Erie. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845 at a cost to the state government of $8 million. At its peak, it included 19 aqueducts, three guard locks, 103 canal locks, multiple feeder canals, and a few man-made water reservoirs. The canal climbed 395 feet (120 m) above Lake Erie and 513 feet (156 m) above the Ohio River to reach a topographical peak called the Loramie Summit, which extended 19 miles (31 km) between New Bremen, Ohio to lock 1-S in Lockington, north of Piqua, Ohio. Boats up to 80 feet long were towed along the canal by mules, horses, or oxen walking on a prepared towpath along the bank, at a rate of four to five miles per hour.

The Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad (C&LE) was a short-lived electric interurban railway that operated in 1930–1939 Depression-era Ohio and ran between the major cities of Cincinnati, Dayton, Springfield, Columbus, and Toledo. It had a substantial freight business and interchanged with other interurbans to serve Detroit and Cleveland. Its twenty high-speed "Red Devil" interurban passenger cars operated daily between Cincinnati and Cleveland via Toledo, the longest same equipment run by an interurban in the United States. The C&LE failed because of the weak economy and the loss of essential freight interchange partners. It ceased operating in 1939.

The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, established in 1833, and sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a major part of the New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route from Buffalo, New York, to Chicago, Illinois, primarily along the south shore of Lake Erie and across northern Indiana. The line's trackage remains a major rail transportation corridor used by Amtrak passenger trains and several freight lines; in 1998, its ownership was split at Cleveland, Ohio, between CSX Transportation to the east and Norfolk Southern Railway in the west.

The Middletown and Cincinnati Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Ohio.

The Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern Railway (CL&N) was a local passenger and freight-carrying railroad in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio, connecting Cincinnati to Dayton via Lebanon. It was built in the late 19th century to give the town of Lebanon and Warren County better transportation facilities. The railroad was locally known as the "Highland Route", since it followed the ridge between the Little and Great Miami rivers, and was the only line not affected by floods such as the Great Dayton Flood of 1913.

The Cleveland Short Line Railway is a freight bypass around southern Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. A quasi-independent railroad organized by major shareholders of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, the shortline was intended to allow the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern to bypass the congested railroads in downtown Cleveland. The Cleveland Short Line has had a succession of owners, and is currently part of CSX Transportation.

The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly called the Pan Handle Route, was a railroad that was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. Its common name came from its main line, which began at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, crossed the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, and continued west to Bradford, Ohio, where it split into a northern line to Chicago and a southern one through Indianapolis, Indiana, to East St. Louis, Illinois.

The Cincinnati and Richmond Railroad was part of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway system.

The Columbus and Xenia Railroad was a railroad which connected the city of Columbus with the town of Xenia in the state of Ohio in the United States. Construction began in October 1847, and the line opened in February 1850. Connecting with the Little Miami Railroad, it created the first rail route from Cincinnati to Columbus.

The Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad (CC&C) was a railroad that ran from Cleveland to Columbus in the U.S. state of Ohio in the United States. Chartered in 1836, it was moribund for the first 10 years of its existence. Its charter was revived and amended in 1845, and construction on the line began in November 1847. Construction was completed and the line opened for regular business in February 1851. The CC&C absorbed a small bankrupt railroad in 1861, and in May 1868 merged with the Bellefontaine Railway to form the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway.

The Pittsburgh to St. Louis Main Line was a rail line owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The line ran from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania west via Steubenville, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, Indianapolis, Indiana, Terre Haute, Indiana, and Vandalia, Illinois to East St. Louis, Illinois. In addition to its east end in downtown Pittsburgh, where it met the Main Line and Pittsburgh to Chicago Main Line, junctions included the Columbus to Chicago Main Line at Columbus, the C&X Branch at Xenia, the Columbus to Indianapolis Main Line via Bradford at New Paris, the Richmond Branch and Fort Wayne Branch at Richmond, the Louisville Branch and I&F Branch at Indianapolis, and the Peoria Branch at Farrington, Illinois.

The Interurban Bridge, also known as the Ohio Electric Railroad Bridge. is a historic interurban railway reinforced concrete multiple arch bridge built in 1908 to span the Maumee River joining Lucas and Wood counties near Waterville, Ohio. The span was once the world's largest earth-filled reinforced concrete bridge. One of the bridge's supports rests on the Roche de Boeuf, a historic Indian council rock, which was partially destroyed by the bridge's construction. The bridge, which is no longer in use, is a popular subject for photographers and painters, who view it from Farnsworth Metropark.

Xenia Station, located at 150 Miami Avenue in Xenia, Ohio, in the United States, is a replica of Xenia's 1880s brick railroad station.

The Ohio Electric Railway was an interurban railroad formed in 1907 with the consolidation of 14 smaller interurban railways. It was Ohio's largest interurban, connecting Toledo, Lima, Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati. At its peak it operated 617 miles (993 km) of track. Never financially healthy, the company went bankrupt in 1921 and was dissolved into its constituent companies.

U.S. Bicycle Route 50 (USBR 50) is a planned east–west cross country U.S. Bicycle Route that currently consists of two discontiguous sections: a western section between San Francisco and Border, Utah, and an eastern section between Terre Haute, Indiana, and Washington, D.C.

The Ohio Southern Railroad operated between Ironton, Ohio, and Lima, Ohio, from 1893 and 1905. Beginning in 1878 as the narrow gauge Springfield, Jackson and Pomeroy Railroad, it ran from Jackson-Wellston, Jackson County to Springfield, Ohio. The line was converted to a standard gauge by 1880 and renamed the Ohio Southern Railroad in 1881. From Jeffersonville, branch lines were started towards Columbus to the northeast and Cincinnati to the southwest, but never completed. By September 1893, the Ohio Southern had reached north to Lima with a bridge over the Great Miami River at Quincy. At Lima, the freight could link to the Lima Northern Railway for points further north. In 1898, the Lima Northern became the Detroit and Lima Northern Railroad (D&LN). Ohio Southern depots continue to stand in St. Johns, Uniopolis, Jackson Center, Quincy, and Rosewood.

The Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad (C&MV) was a shortline railroad operating in the state of Ohio in the United States. Originally known as the Cleveland and Mahoning Railroad (C&M), it was chartered in 1848. Construction of the line began in 1853 and was completed in 1857. After an 1872 merger with two small railroads, the corporate name was changed to "Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad". The railroad leased itself to the Atlantic and Great Western Railway in 1863. The C&MV suffered financial instability, and in 1880 its stock was sold to a company based in London in the United Kingdom. A series of leases and ownership changes left the C&MV in the hands of the Erie Railroad in 1896. The CM&V's corporate identity ended in 1942 after the Erie Railroad completed purchasing the railroad's outstanding stock from the British investors.

References

↑ Arms, Richard G. (July 1959). "From Disassembly to Assembly" (PDF). Bulletin of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio: 200. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
↑ "Little Miami Scenic Trail". YellowSprings.com. 2006-06-11. Archived from the original on 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
↑ Kaufman, Ben L. (February 9, 1979). "Little Miami Rail Plan Could Be In Jeopardy". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. C-2 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ Agin, Mike (December 8, 1983). "Trail may pave way to economic success". The Cincinnati Post (Tri-County ed.). p. 1B – via Newspapers.com.
↑ Rosen, Steven (May 8, 1983). "Loveland Happy About Bike Trail". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. C-1 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Governor Taft Cuts Ribbon on Little Miami Scenic Trail Extension in Hamilton County" (Press release). Ohio Department of Natural Resources. 2006-06-10. Retrieved 2008-11-16.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Arms, Richard G. (July 1959). "From Disassembly to Assembly" (PDF). Bulletin of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio: 200. Retrieved June 8, 2020.

[Yellow_Springs_LMST-2] "Little Miami Scenic Trail". YellowSprings.com. 2006-06-11. Archived from the original on 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2009-01-18.

[3] Kaufman, Ben L. (February 9, 1979). "Little Miami Rail Plan Could Be In Jeopardy". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. C-2 – via Newspapers.com.

[4] Agin, Mike (December 8, 1983). "Trail may pave way to economic success". The Cincinnati Post (Tri-County ed.). p. 1B – via Newspapers.com.

[5] Rosen, Steven (May 8, 1983). "Loveland Happy About Bike Trail". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. C-1 – via Newspapers.com.

[ODNR_Avoca-6] "Governor Taft Cuts Ribbon on Little Miami Scenic Trail Extension in Hamilton County" (Press release). Ohio Department of Natural Resources. 2006-06-10. Retrieved 2008-11-16.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]