Ohio Valley Electric Railway
Encyclopedia
The Ohio Valley Electric Railway was a street railway and interurban
system that ran between Huntington, West Virginia
, and Ashland, Kentucky
. The system was also connected by ferry
to Ironton, Ohio
.
Johnson N. Camden
, bought out the Consolidated Light and Railway Company of Huntington, the Ashland and Catlettsburg Street Railway, and the Ironton and Petersburg Street Railway. By the fall of 1900, new track connected the West Virginia
and Kentucky
segments of the line, and the combined properties became known as the Camden Interstate Railway Company.
In 1908, the company changed its name back to the Ohio Valley Electric Railway. Street railway operations ceased in 1937.
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
system that ran between Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
, and Ashland, Kentucky
Ashland, Kentucky
Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the...
. The system was also connected by ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
to Ironton, Ohio
Ironton, Ohio
Ironton is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Lawrence County. The municipality is located in southern Ohio along the Ohio River. The population was 11,211 at the 2000 census. Ironton is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the...
.
History
The Ohio Valley Electric Railway was organized Sept. 27, 1899, and, backed by SenatorUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Johnson N. Camden
Johnson N. Camden
Johnson Newlon Camden was a United States Senator from West Virginia. Born in Collins Settlement, Virginia , he attended school in Sutton. He was appointed as a cadet to the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1846 until 1848, when he resigned...
, bought out the Consolidated Light and Railway Company of Huntington, the Ashland and Catlettsburg Street Railway, and the Ironton and Petersburg Street Railway. By the fall of 1900, new track connected the West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
segments of the line, and the combined properties became known as the Camden Interstate Railway Company.
In 1908, the company changed its name back to the Ohio Valley Electric Railway. Street railway operations ceased in 1937.