The Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad
The path lies on the rail bed of the Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad, the first railroad constructed through this region in 1877. Primarily a coal hauling line from the mines of the Ohio River valley to northwest Ohio, the T & OC also offered the first passenger line service to the communities of Granville, Alexandria, and Johnston. "Central City", an old name given to the far west edge of Newark, probably got its name as a stop during this busy rail period. The T & OC was bought out in the 1930's by the giant New York Central, which later became the Penn Central in the 1960's.
The last train on this section of track ran in 1970, with this trail being constructed in [illegible]. When this trestle crossing over Raccoon Creek was converted for the bike path, the [illegible] guards were retained for their history. About 5 miles of the original T & OC are still used between Heath and Hebron.
Marker is on the T. J. Evans Bike Trail 1.5 miles east of South Main Street (Ohio Route 661).
Courtesy hmdb.org
