In 1840 railroads in Ohio were just beginning to be built at which time there was only 40 miles of track in the entire state. Ohio had just spent a lot of money to build two major canal systems that helped take goods to market and had quickly sped up Ohio's transport. Besides, railroads were a risky business both for the businessmen running them, but also for the passengers that braved riding on them.
By 1850 however, the mood in Ohio was beginning to change. The Ohio legislature had approved 76 charter railroads to be constructed in the state. A few of these railroads proved successful and suddenly railroads had become the future of transportation across the state. That was when Columbus decided to take advantage of this new transportation and build a train station.
The first rail line to take advantage of the new depot was the Columbus and Xenia Railroad (C&X). Then came the Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati Railroad (CC&C). The new depot became Union Station in 1851 when the CC&C connected the three largest cities in the state. Each of those cities had their own Union Station.
The first Union Station was nothing more than an open ended wood-framed barn with three tracks running through the center of it. Around this structure the necessary infrastructure was build including a round house where locomotives could be serviced and turned around.
Lincoln Visits Columbus One Last Time
After the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, his body was taken back to Springfield Illinois by rail with the idea of stopping at all of the same major stops Lincoln visited on his way to Washington D.C.
in 1861. However, by the time the Lincoln Funeral Train arrived in Columbus on April 29, it had been 14 days since he died. The smell of death could no longer be hidden by the great sprays of lilacs that covered Lincoln's coffin. The long trip was cut short by elminating as many stops as possible so his burial could take place in Springfield. Lincoln was buried on May 4, 1865.
As rail traffic increased, the rail intersection of High Street and Union Station became a major problem for the city. High Street had become the major connecting road with the new university being built 4 miles north of the downtown area. Worthington was also increasing in size. In one study rail traffic blocked High Street for 1/3 of every 24 hour day.
In an attempt to aleviate this bottleneck, a tunnel was constructed under the tracks so horse-drawn carts, carriages and pedestrians could cross the tracks at any time. This however, turned out not to be a viable solution. Vermin and thieves haunted the dimly lit tunnel making it more dangerous than the rail crossings.
Finally, it was decided the Tunnel gave the city a black eye and plans were made to create another option: build a large viaduct over the railroad tracks. Construction of this large bridged was timed so it would be completed for 1888. As the great Centennial of 1888 (100 years after the first Ohio settlement, Marietta, was created in 1788) and in honor of this celebration, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) also scheduled their massive reunion in Columbus,
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