Interurban railroad car and conductors

Photograph of a conductor and employee posed with interurban railroad car #500. Interurban railroads were electrically-powered trains that connected communities together across Ohio, providing a quick and cheap alternative to regular railroads, canals, or horses in the late 19th and early 20th century. The first interurban line in the United States connected Newark and Granville, Ohio, while the most profitable and heavily-utilized line in Ohio was the ABC (Akron, Bedford, and Cleveland) Line. By World War I, 2,798 miles of interurban track existed within Ohio, which exceeded the next closest state by approximately 1,000 miles. The advent of the automobile quickly led to a decrease in interurban popularity among travelers, and by the early 1930s, most interurban lines in Ohio had ceased operation