New York Central Railroad

The New York Central Railroad first stationed business representatives in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1853. However, it was not until 1870 that the railroad established a significant presence in the local railroad economy. During the 1880s and 1890s the New York Central purchased controlling interests in various railroads to secure routes into Cleveland from the east and west. During the early twentieth century the railroad built and bought lines through and around Cleveland. Yards that were key to New York Central's repair, maintenance, and storage operations included Collinwood in the east, Linndale in the west, and Union Depot on the shore of Lake Erie. In 1921 the New York Central participated in the financing of Cleveland Union Terminal (C.U.T.) on Public Square and eventually established a yard on the site while maintaining the lakefront property. In 1929 the railroad had 9,963 employees in the Cleveland area and established one of its two national offices downtown. During the Depression many yard workers were furloughed, and labor organizations like the Communist Party had "units" within the yards. Many employees served in World War II, a time when the yards experienced unprecedented passenger and freight activity. In the 1950s and 1960s passenger traffic significantly declined, and freight activity decreased as well, albeit less dramatically. In 1975 the remnants of the New York Central and other once prosperous railroads were consolidated by the United States government under the name Conrail.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the New York Central Railroad

From the guide to the New York Central Railroad Records, 1880-1957, (Western Reserve Historical Society)