Museum Shop

Welcome to our Museum Shop, where you will find unique items related to the history of Geauga County's electric railway era!

Please page down to read a complete description of each item and where it can be purchased. Most items are only available from the listed publisher or retailers. The other items are available for the suggested donation to the Cleveland & Eastern Interurban Historical Society.

For donations, please email us at: ceihsmu@gmail.com or contact us at The Cleveland and Eastern Interurban Historical Society and Museum, P.O. Box 34 - Chardon, Ohio 44024. The these items may be picked up when the museum is open, or at our regular business meetings. We suggest that you e-mail us, ahead, so we can advise you concerning current availability.

THANK YOU!

Books

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The Maple Leaf Route - Geauga County (Vol. 1) by Dan Rager

(Item 001)



This book chronicles the famous “Maple Leaf Route” (Cleveland & Eastern Interurban) which ran between Cleveland and Geauga County between 1899 & 1925.

It describes the building of that railroad from east to west, as well as the history of the Cleveland and Chagrin Falls Interurban (C & CF), built in 1895. The book includes rare photos, maps, and original documents from both railroads, along with many intriguing stories. It describes how the railroad changed the life and commerce of the area.

The C & E interurban cars ran from Cleveland’s Public Square, to Gates Mills, Scotland (Chester Township), Munson, Chardon, Burton, Middlefield. The C & CF ran between Cleveland, Chagrin Falls, Hiram and Garrettsville with a freight spur to Middlefield.


Published: December 2018

Description: 28 chapters, 226 pages.

The book is available at the Maple Leaf Publishing Company, P.O. Box 144, Chardon, OH 44024,  Email: mapleleafroute@gmail.com   or Mountain Road Bikes, Chardon, Ohio,   Email: russ@mtnroadcycles.com

Price: $30.00 plus shipping (if applicable)

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All Aboard The Maple Leaf Route - (Vol. 2 The Critical Edition) by Dan Rager

(Item 002)



This Vol.2 of All Aboard The Maple Leaf Route is an inside look at the Cleveland & Eastern Railway (C & E) system. Millions of riders traveled on the system between Cleveland to Geauga County.

It includes detailed maps and blueprints of the right-of-way and contains the largest photo achieve ever published of the line. This edition shows how the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Nickel Plate Railroad were connected to and did business with the C & E.

Readers can enjoy the "Tales on the Trails" chapter which presents true stories by some of Geauga County's Amish Community whose grandparents worked and rode on the rails. In this book, you will learn how Chardon, the eastern terminus of the C & E and the location of a B & O rail yard, became the rail capital east of Cleveland, and was known as a "Jerkwater" town.

The book describes how the forests in Geauga County provided raw material to build the line, but also, how that construction contributed to the deforestation of Geauga County.

The author also describes the recent discoveries about the railroad such artifacts of the former rail yard, under the Gates Mill village green!

Published: December 2019

Description: 14 chapters, 133 pages.

The book is available at the Maple Leaf Publishing Company, P.O. Box 144, Chardon, OH 44024,  Email: mapleleafroute@gmail.com   or Mountain Road Bikes, Chardon, Ohio,   Email: russ@mtnroadcycles.com

Price: $30.00 plus shipping (if applicable)

The People's Automobile - A Pictorial History of Ohio's Early Rail (Vol.3) by Dan Rager

(Item 003)



The People's Automobile by Dan Rager is a fun and picturesque journey through Ohio’s interurban past. It features hundreds of rare photos published here for the first time. It includes pictures from the Lake Shore Electric, the Southwestern Division, the Cleveland & Chagrin Falls and the Cleveland & Eastern Railway.

Between 1890s and 1950's, many towns and villages around the country had electric railroads. Ohio had one of the best electric rail systems in the country. Before the wide use of the automobile, over 17 million people rode this new form of transportation, daily. It allowed people to travel conveniently between their homes, jobs, and to more distant cities and suburbs for shopping. People in Northern Ohio even used them to visit such entertainment destinations as Euclid Beach Park, Cedar Point, and Luna Park.

Published: June 2020

Description: 12 chapters, 100 pages.

The book is available at the Maple Leaf Publishing Company, P.O. Box 144, Chardon, OH 44024,  Email: mapleleafroute@gmail.com   or Mountain Road Bikes, Chardon, Ohio,   Email: russ@mtnroadcycles.com

Price: $30.00 plus shipping (if applicable)

The Cleveland and Eastern Railway Company by Sylvia Wiggins

(Item 004)



This publication is a fascinating history about the development and history of the Cleveland & Eastern. It includes detailed descriptions about the daily operations, such as the duties of the conductors and motormen, how the brakes worked, or what the interior of the cars looked like, etc. There are descriptions of the notable incidents and accidents which occurred along the line, as well as a listing of employees.

This collection contains detailed historic and recent maps and standard and special event timetables. Included are copies of many newspaper articles relating the history of the C & E, as well as the daily life in Geauga County between 1898 and 1925. There are many interesting interviews with people who rode, worked for, or just remembered the line. The original book is out-of-print, but copies which include some additional material are available, upon request.

Published: February 1989

Researched and Written by Sylvia Wiggins

Description: 278 pages.

Published by The Ink Pot Press

Available from the Chesterland Historical Foundation.

Contact Sylvia Wiggins dswigg62@yahoo.com for copies.

Price: $25.00 plus shipping.


The Interurban Railroads of Geauga County - The Construction Year of 1899 by Bill Jackson



(Item 005)



Learn about the planning and construction of Geauga County's Electric Railroads as seen through the eyes of the county's newspaper editors. Included are stories from Geauga County's newspapers of 1899 as well as contemporary photographs.

Compiled by Bill Jackson on behalf of The Cleveland and Eastern Interurban Historical Society and Museum

Published: December 2012

Available from: ceihsmu@gmail.com

Donation: $15.00


The Red Cars of the Clevland and Eastern Railway

(Item 006)



This booklet describes the railway cars that were owned by the Cleveland and Eastern Interurban Railway between its beginning in 1899 until its closure in 1925. It includes a detailed description, history, and, the final disposition of many of the cars. It lists each passenger coach, freight-motor, and non-revenue maintenance car as well as its two steam engines.

This publication shares rare photographs from Society members: Frank Russell, Jim Rivers, Jim Selfe and James Spangler. Text is by Brian C Gage with editorial assistance by Bill Jackson.

Compiled by The Cleveland and Eastern Interurban Historical Society and Museum

Description: 32 pages

Published: 2010

Available from: ceihsmu@gmail.com

Donation: $5.00 plus shipping

The History of the Interurban Line In Chagrin Falls by Don Barriball

(Item 007)



From 1897-1925 an electric railway connected Chagrin Falls to downtown Cleveland with hourly departures. Author Don Barriball tells the story of the development of the Cleveland and Chagrin Falls Railway Company which includes the involvement of major investors and developers who owned electric trolley lines in Chicago, Detroit, and Canada, and the syndicates they formed as they attempted to build a system from Cleveland to Pittsburgh. Dealings between the syndicates and municipalities were often contentious. Corners were sometimes cut, and the Railway had more than its share of accidents and fatalities. With the emergence of the automobile and bus lines, electric trolley cars around the country gradually went out of business. But they were something in their heyday!

Published: February 2009

Published by the Chagrin Falls Historical Society Press

Description: 129 pages

Available from The Chagrin Falls Historical Society and Museum at https://www.chagrinhistorical.org/museum-store/books/

Price: $24.00 plus shipping

The Painesville & Youngstown, The Narrow-Gauge Railroad of Northeastern Ohio, Volume One: 1871-1877 by Bill Jackson (Society Member)

(Item 008)



Published September, 2019

This volume describes the development and early years (1871-1877) of The Painesville & Youngstown Railroad (P &Y), a narrow-gauge railroad which ran between Fairport Harbor and Youngstown, Ohio.

Compiled by Bill Jackson from items in the Painesville Telegraph, the book relates the conception, construction, and early operation of railroad. The P & Y eventually became the Lake Branch of the B & O Railroad and would have connections with The Cleveland & Eastern Interurban Railroad in Chardon and Middlefield, Ohio.

This history describes the initial construction of the railroad between Painesville and Chardon in 1871 and the later construction that led to the eventual “through” passenger and freight service between Fairport Harbor and Youngstown by 1875. News items describe how early passenger excursions led to regularly scheduled service and additional service for special groups and events. Specials trains even ran to Fairport Harbor for excursions to Niagara Falls. The book also describes the activity and improvements at Fairport Harbor, the development the important coal business, and other related news stories of the period.

In addition to chronological listing of news stories, the book has an excellent chapter summing up the major milestones of the railroad between 1871 and 1877, a detailed and well-organized index, and a chapter on notes by the editor.

Description: 11 chapters including editor notes and index, 387 pages

Available directly from Bill Jackson at billjackson44024@gmail.com

Price: $30.00 plus shipping (Vol. 1), $55.00 plus shipping (Vol. 1 & 2)

The Painesville & Youngstown, The Narrow-Gauge Railroad of Northeastern Ohio, Volume Two: 1878-1886. by Bill Jackson (Society Member)

(Item 009)



This second volume is about the completion of the P & Y from 1878 to 1886. It describes the further upgrading of the harbor at Fairport Harbor, the development of the new iron ore business, the receivership of the railroad, the conversion to standard gauge, and the sale of the road to the Pittsburgh, Painesville, & Fairport (P, P, & F). The Pittsburgh & Western Company took over the management of tracks from Fairport to Niles, Ohio by the end of 1886.

One of the news stories suggested a definite interest by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to transport of iron ore, via the Great Lakes from Duluth Minnesota through Fairport.

Volume 2 also has a map of Grand River Harbor at Fairport Harbor, a helpful index itemizing major milestones of the railroad between 1878 and 1886, and has a detailed index organized into categories, such as people, places, publications, etc.



Published: November, 2019

Description: 14 chapters including editor notes, map, and index, 388 pages

Available directly from Bill Jackson at billjackson44024@gmail.com

Price: $30.00 plus shipping (Vol. 2), $55.00 plus shipping (Vol. 1 & 2) id="blb"

Building the Lake Branch - Complete History 1835-2021, Vol.4 by Dan Rager (Society Member)



(Item 010)



Building The Lake Branch is a comprehensive 185-year history of the railroad that once transported passengers, freight, and huge amounts of iron ore, coal and oil between Youngstown, and Fairport Harbor, Ohio. Having various names in its long history, it eventually became the Lake Branch of the B & O Railroad. Independent chapters describe the histories of the villages where the rails ran, including Fairport Harbor, Painesville, Concord, Chardon, Middlefield, West Farmington, DeForest Jct., and Niles, Ohio. The book displays maps, blueprints, and over 300 photographs detailing the past and recent discoveries along the 64.4-mile route.

The C & E Interurban connected with the Lake Branch in Chardon and Middlefield. These connections made it possible to transport materials and equipment to build the Interurban and supply water and coal to run the first steam engines. Later, the coal was used to generate electricity to power the interurban cars and to supply electricity and heat to area homes.



Published: August 2021

Description: 27 chapters, 300 pages.

The book is available at the Maple Leaf Publishing Company, P.O. Box 144, Chardon, OH 44024,  Email: mapleleafroute@gmail.com   or online at Lulu.com It is also available at Painesville Railroad Museum, 475 Railroad Street, Painesville, OH 44077 or Mountain Road Bikes, Chardon, Ohio,   Email: russ@mtnroadcycles.com

Price: $65.00 plus $4.95 S&H

Ghost Rails Vol. 19 - B&O Lakers by Wayne Cole

(Item 011)



This hardcover book is described as: The Complete History of the B & O's Lake Branch. The journey starts in New Castle, Pennsylvania and travels though Youngstown, Painesville, and ends on Lake Erie at Fairport Harbor, Ohio .

Included in the book is the New Castle B & O Yard, the B & O Old Main Line to DeForest, and the almost mile-to-mile coverage to the Painesville B & O Terminal, Grand River and Fairport. The villages of West Farmington, Middlefield, Burton and Chardon are covered in detail. Chardon was once the largest rail yard east of Cleveland. Six streetcar lines, including the Cleveland & Easter Interurban, interchanged with the Lake Branch. There were crossings with the Clinton Railroad and the short-lived Windsor Branch. The book describes many major towers that were once located in the area.

The book includes a section with photos by Herbert Hardwood. These photos cover the Erie Escarpment down to the helper spur at Failes. Among the photos are dozens of the massive B&O EM-1 Locomotives. There are also photos by Bud Piskarich and Frank Vollhardt detailing the lifting of the Lake Branch.

The book emphasizes the Fairport Harbor area, documenting the iron and coal era, with the huge McMyler coal dumpers, and Brown Hoists. It describes the many lake vessels that visited the port and the histories of the harbor as they related to the B & O. It includes a history of the Fairport, Painesville & Eastern Railroad and the new short line Grand River Railway, currently operating on 2.56 miles of old B & O track.



Published: August 24, 2022

Description: Paperback, 133 pages.

The book is available at Ron's Books. It is also available at the B&O Historical Society.

Price: $70.00

Ohio's Interurban Railroad History, 1884-1950s, Vol. 5, Golden Spike Edition by Dan Rager

(Item 012)







This book describes how Ohio’s electric transit systems were built across the state at breakneck speed, connecting towns, villages and cities that had been isolated from each other. Beginning in 1884, entrepreneurs, local citizens and bankers invested to build the best electric railway system in the United States. The rise and fall of these systems were remarkable and changed social norms and habits.

These Interurban companies changed the work culture and even provided entertainment during leisure times. They built amusement parks that ran on the electricity and offered discount rates for patrons to travel to and from these parks. Now, ridership on week nights and weekends would be filled to capacity as people flocked to the new ‘Trolley Parks’ for fun-filled days of entertainment. As the interurban lines later closed, so did most these parks although several remain.

This book addresses the entire state interurban system chronologically, and indexes all company names. A detailed chronological progression takes the reader on a long journey, showing the amelioration of each interurban line, when they were incorporated, reconsolidated, sold, and reorganized, sometimes over and over again, until each was finally abandoned. Each branch had a different name and when reorganization occured, sometimes their names changed. The reader will be challenged to keep-up with all these name and date changes.

Some companies created stunts to increase ridership. For example, President A. E. Akins of the Western Ohio Railway Company drove a ‘Golden Spike’ into the last rail on the company’s Findlay-Lima (Green Line) extension on December 30, 1905. Another stunt was a race between a Cincinnati & Lake Erie Red Devil car and a biplane.

The author has a plethora of evidence as to why these interurban and trolley lines across the country went out of business. Beginning with ‘National City Lines’, a company was created as a front for General Motors, Standard Oil, Firestone, Mack Truck, Phillips Petroleum and others. As revealed in the General Motors conspiracy court trail of 1949, and U. S. Senate Judiciary Committee in the 1974, all of the cities in Ohio had their electric rail systems removed by a scheme involving these companies.

This book also discusses the early development of the gasoline powered automobile, but, in addition, the development of the electric car by Henry Ford and Thomas Edison (and others).

The book features exclusive photographs, throughout the text, to illuminate each company. A photo chapter enriches the readers understanding of interurban car styles over the decades. Detailed maps are provided showing the various branch locations around Ohio.
From the genesis, this fascinating story will give the reader an in-depth understanding of interurban travel in Ohio over its 50 year history.

Published: October 2021

Description: Hardcover, 304 pages.

The book is available at the Maple Leaf Publishing Company, P.O. Box 144, Chardon, OH 44024,  Email: mapleleafroute@gmail.com   or Mountain Road Bikes, Chardon, Ohio,   Email: russ@mtnroadcycles.com

The price is $59.95 Plus $4.95 S&H


Cleveland & Chagrin Falls Interurban vs Cleveland & Eastern Railway/ Complete History by Dan Rager

(Item 013)




This book is an in-depth look at the Cleveland and Chagrin Falls Line (C. & C. F.) which ran from Cleveland to Chagrin Falls, eventually reaching Middlefield, Troy, Hiram, and Garrettesville. It also contains new information about the Cleveland & Eastern Line (C.& E) and compares and evaluates data from both systems.

Author, Dan Rager, primarily focuses on the building, history, operations and abandonment of the C. & C. F. and investigates important areas along it's right-of-way. He takes the reader, Stop by Stop, creating an informative and panoramic view as to what was and what now, remains. Included are recent photos of remote locations along the right-of-way. The comprehensive analysis of unique Stops include: the Carbarns, Smith’s Crossing, South Newbury Station, Punderson Lake, Hiram House Camp, Mooreland Hills Valley, and Steele’s Crossing.

The story of the recent discovery of the missing church bell which the C & E had once given to the church in Gates Mills is revealed. There is a detailed discussion about the construction materials from Northeast Ohio’s stone quarries which were used by both the electric and steam railways to build and operate their lines.

Each chapter contains an abundance of histories not previously published, offering the reader reasons why certain events occurred. For example, the history of the Wales Hotel at Punderson Lake at Stop 44, which was removed two decades before the line was abandoned, is discussed. Dan provides a thorough history of Punderson Lake’s development. He explains how its later owners, Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Long, created the Lakefield Zoo which contained exotic animals such as Elk and Bison. Dan also gives a detailed history of Stop 39 at the Bass Lake Resort, and its connection to the earlier Painesville & Hudson Railroad, with its alternative and illegal right-of-way. Exclusive photos of the depot and resort are published for the first time.

Maps and blueprints denote the locations mentioned, providing an accurate placement and time frame. A large compilation of exclusive photographs are placed throughout each chapter in addition to a photo chapter. The story of Everett & Moore’s interurban empire of which these two lines were a part, will place the reader back to the early 20th century, when life in northeast Ohio was simpler.

Published: June 20th, 2023

Description: Soft cover, 152 pages.

The book is available at the Maple Leaf Publishing Company, P.O. Box 144, Chardon, OH 44024,  Email: mapleleafroute@gmail.com   or Mountain Road Bikes, Chardon, Ohio,   Email: russ@mtnroadcycles.com

The price is $59.95 Plus $4.95 S&H


DVDs

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Once Apon A Time

(Item 100)



This dvd presents a fond remembrance of the Cleveland and Eastern Interurban which ran from Cleveland to Gates Mills, Chesterland, Chardon, Middlefield, and Burton between 1899 and 1925.

Compiled by members of The Cleveland and Eastern Interurban Historical Society and Museum

Available from: ceihsmu@gmail.com

Donation: $15.00



Steel Rails To The Southeast

(Item 101)



This second dvd is about the Cleveland & Chagrin Falls Electric Railway which ran from Cleveland to Chagrin Falls between 1897 and 1925. During 1902 and 1903, extensions were also built to Hiram, and Garrettsville along with a freight branch to Middlefield.

Available from: ceihsmu@gmail.com

Donation: $15.00

Slide Show - The Cleveland & Eastern

(Item 102)

This third dvd describes the various types of cars which ran on the C & E. It's images and story brings to life the book: The Red Cars of the Clevland and Eastern Railway.

All dvds are available for viewing or purchase when the C & E Museum is open. Check the bottom of our Home Page for the dates when the museum is open.

Compiled by The Cleveland and Eastern Interurban Historical Society and Museum

Available from: ceihsmu@gmail.com

Donation: $15.00

MAPS

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Map of the Cleveland & Eastern

(Item 200)

This is a large 44" high by 33" wide map of the C & E Interurban in Geauga County created by the County Auditor's Office. It shows each car stop with details in an accompanying legend. It addition to the C & E, the map shows the portions of the Cleveland, & Chagrin Falls Electric Railway which ran in the southern part of the County. It also shows the three other railroads which ran in the County: The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (including the Windsor Branch), The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad, and the Erie Railroad. The map shows detailed road names and numbers, county parks and preserves, towns, etc. and is printed in 4-color. Because of the very small lettering, large map size and inaccurate color reproduction via the Internet, you may want to view the map at our museum.

Available from: ceihsmu@gmail.com

Donation: $15.00