The Euclid Railroad was incorporated in 1883 to construct a railroad from a point about one mile west of Euclid Creek to the south line of Euclid Township. The 1.451 miles of railroad were constructed during 1883 and 1884 by the Malone and Company, stone quarry operators, and the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railway. The motive power on the Euclid Railroad was supplied by the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, there being an interchange with that road at Euclid, Ohio.
Map from 1918 Nickel Plate Road (NYC&StL) Valuation Map V4.OH-3 (courtesy Cleveland State University Library Special Collections)
Euclid Railroad 1917 Valuation Map (National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD) In 1928, the Euclid Railroad was granted permission to relocate the portion of the line on the west side of Green road to the east side, removing two grade crossings. The quarries served on the west side of Green were depleted. The Green Road Realty company purchased the abandoned right of way and helped pay for the grade crossing removal.
Euclid Railroad 1928, 1929 Maps (National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD) In 1946 the South Euclid Concrete Company purchased the railroad and placed their bookkeeper, John McCarthy, in charge. In 1967 the railroad was abandoned. Growing up in the area, Tom Heil used a rail pushcart with his freinds to ride down the grade and push the cart back up. He remembers the rails remained intact (except for some washouts on the grade) until around 1978, when someone came in and salvaged the rails. Even in 2014 you can still find a few rails and ties in isolated locations. Euclid Historian, Roy Larick, led a walking tour in 2013. The City of Euclid proposed making the right-of-way into a trail and park but the surrounding neighbors were not supportive.
Cram 1893 Cuyahoga County Atlas showing Euclid RR Stranahan 1903 Cuyahoga County Atlas showing Euclid RR Hopkins 1914 Cuyahoga County Atlas showing Euclid RR Hopkins 1920 Cuyahoga County Atlas showing Euclid RR (north) Hopkins 1941 Cuyahoga County Atlas showing Euclid RR (south) Photos of Bluestone Quarry served by the Euclid RR.
Google Earth: Orginal Pre-1928 right of way: kml or image | 1928-1968 right of way: kml or image Bibliography ___."One Man Railroad." Nickel Plate Road Magazine. New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Company. November 1950: 9,22 <www.railsandtrails.com/NKP/magazine/1950-11/index.htm>. Bownocker, J. A. Building Stones of Ohio. Geological Survey of Ohio. Columbus. 1915. <www.railsandtrails.com/GSO/buildingstones/index.htm> (description of quarries in South Euclid and the process of quarrying Berea sandstone and preparing it for market in 1915) Rhoades, Nicholas. "Call the Nickel Plate." Nickel Plate Road Magazine. Nickel Plate Historical & Technical Society. Spring 1987: 10-11. United States. Interstate Commerce Commission. "Euclid Railroad Company, Valuation Docket No. 168." Interstate Commerce Commission Reports : Reports and Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States (Valuation Reports) 114 (June-September 1926): 303-316 <www.railsandtrails.com/ICC/>. United States. Interstate Commerce Commission. "Construction and Abandonment of Lines by the Euclid Railroad Company, Finance Docket No. 6828." Interstate Commerce Commission Reports : Reports and Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States (Finance Reports) 145 (June-November 1928): 409-413 <www.railsandtrails.com/ICC/>. United States. Interstate Commerce Commission. "Euclid Railroad Co. Abandonment Entire Line in Cuyahoga County, Finance Docket No. 24373." Certificate and Order at a Session of the Interstate Commerce Commission, Finance Board No. 3 (March 29, 1967)<www.railsandtrails.com/EuclidRR/abandonment.html>.
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