Historian to speak of railroad history in the region

The County Line Historical Society of Wayne and Holmes County will bring interesting information and new insights from guest speakers five times each year.

The newest event is scheduled for Saturday, June 16 at 1 p.m. at Ken Miller Supply Oil and Gas Museum, 7920 Shreve Road in Shreve. The scheduled speaker is Roger Scott, who will give a presentation on “The History of Our Local Railroads.” Scott has been a member of the Orrville Railroad Heritage Society since 1982 and is well-versed in the subject. He serves as the activities director.

Jayne Neal is the County Line Historical Society treasurer and program chairperson for the event. Neal said she expects as many as 50 attendees for Scott’s railroad presentation.

“We always look for speakers from the area to talk about our own history and topics that mean something to our residents,” Neal said. “Orrville has a very active historical society, and we expect a really good turnout.”

Neal said this represents the third such event for the organization this year with two more to come in 2018.

Scott said 2018 represents the 40th anniversary of the Orrville Railroad Heritage Society, and he has been a part of the group for most of that time. “We have a railroad museum in Orrville at 145 Depot St. There are a lot of railroad-related artifacts there dating back at least to the 1860s. Horns, bells, whistles, lights, there’s plenty to see there.”

The Orrville Railroad Heritage Society boasts about 130 members.

“Mrs. Neal called me last winter to ask me to speak, and I was delighted to agree,” Scott said. “This is something I’ve spoken and written about many times before. There are seven different railroad companies still in operation in Wayne County, and I will be speaking about each one of them.”

Scott said the number of rail companies operating in the area during the heyday of the business would be hard to nail down. “Probably 50 or more,” he said.

Scott explained his audiences are often made up of people old enough to remember when trains, especially passenger trains, were a regular sight in all areas of the country. “Of course younger people are accustomed to flying, so trains tend to not mean so much to them,” he said.

Scott said his interest in railroads began in early childhood, though perhaps not by choice. “I grew up in a house that was right next to the railroad tracks in Orrville. They were literally right there,” he said.

Scott credits many area historians for maintaining a strong interest in rail travel and shipping history for keeping interest levels high. “There are so many historians in Wayne and Holmes counties who are very passionate about it,” he said.

Scott said railroads reached the area prior to the American Civil War. “What was then the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad came to Orrville in 1852. Then the North-South track connecting through Akron and Cleveland came in 1854,” he said.

Scott said these were later joined by the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad in 1880, which is still in business 138 years later.

There is no charge to hear Scott speak on June 16. His presentation is expected to last 15 minutes with a Q-and-A session following with audience participation.

The Orrville Railroad Heritage Society website is at www.orrvillerailroad.com. The society meets at the museum the last Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m.