Columbus Railroad Milestones
The Milestones section of Columbus Railroads will look at the development of the transportation networks serving Columbus. In the earliest days of Columbus and Franklinton the National Road and the Ohio Canals were constructed. In 1850 the first railroad, the Columbus & Xenia Railroad arrived soon followed by two more railroads.
Over the years, events local, national and natural influenced both Columbus and its railroads. Sometimes this was for the better, sometimes not. For example, the great Flood of 1913 was a tragedy for the residents of Franklin with over 90 Franklinton residents perishing and hundreds left homeless. For the railroads, infrastructure was severely damaged interrupting service for many days.
Following World War II, the construction of the interstate highway system, the introduction of jet aircraft travel and the elimination of the railroad’s U.S. Postal Service contracts eliminated railroad passenger train through Columbus. With Union Station no longer needed it was demolished and the Columbus Convention Center built in its place.
Milestones will start at the beginning with the story of
Alfred Kelly and the Dawn of Ohio Railroads by James M. Cavanaugh.