Lorain, Ashland and Southern Railroad

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The Lorain, Ashland, and Southern Railroad (reporting mark LA&S)[1] operated from 1914-1925 between Lorain, Ohio and . It was a consolidation of the and the . The line was purchased in 1916 by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Erie Railroad as a means to access the National Tube Company steel mill in .

The original rail line, known as the , was constructed in 1894-1895 between and Jeromeville, Ohio by , a brick manufacturer from Akron, Ohio. He built a brick and tile plant near Horace and used the railroad to ship his finished products to customers throughout Ohio and New York.

In 1898-1899 the extended the line to Ashland, Ohio, where it built a large freight and passenger depot and served many large industries in that city.

Horace Camp sold the railroad to in 1903 and the name of the company changed to the , a subsidiary of the . After several years of financial difficulties, the line went into receivership and was eventually purchased by of Canton, Ohio.

In 1907 the Ashland and Western Railway was sold to former Wabash Railroad president Joseph Ramsey, Jr. Ramsey had constructed the Lorain and Ashland Railroad between Wellington, Ohio and Lorain, Ohio. This line fell into disrepair and it was not until 1913 that the entire system was refurbished and a connector between Ashland and Wellington was completed in 1914.

Because of railroad consolidations, poor condition of the rail line, competition from the , and corporate manipulations, the Lorain, Ashland, and Southern Railroad was abandoned in August 1925.

References[]

  • Snyder, William S. (2004). The Rattlesnake And The Ramsey: The History Of The Lorain, Ashland And Southern Railroad. Custaloga Press. ISBN 0-9740850-0-6.
  • Thompson, John A. "The Lorain, Ashland, & Southern", December 17, 1997. Accessed June 3, 2008
  1. ^ , The Official Railway Equipment Register, June 1917, p. 456

External links[]

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