BRECKSVILLE, Ohio – An historic guidebook for the Valley Railway has been reprinted and is now available to the public.
The Valley Railway ran between Cleveland, Akron and Canton beginning in 1880 and is now the route of Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
The Guide Book for the Tourist and Traveler over the Valley Railway! by John S. Reese, features descriptions of the landscape and communities, as well as advertisements for merchants and businesses then found along the line.
In the book. The book provides a snapshot of the Cuyahoga Valley and surrounding cities in the late 19th century.
The reprint also features a new introduction that provides a history of the rail line. The Valley Railway provided an important passenger rail link among Cleveland, Akron and Canton and access to the coal fields in Stark and Tuscarawas counties that supplied growing industries in the cities.
It remained an independent line until the 1890s when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad took over its operation.
Passenger and freight service then continued along the route until the 1960s. Since the mid 1970s, visitors to Cuyahoga Valley National Park have enjoyed excursions offered by Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad on the historic railroad line.
Kent State University Press published the reprint in cooperation with Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
Available now. It is available for sale at bookstores within park at the following locations: Canal Visitor Center, Boston Store, Peninsula Depot, and Happy Days Visitor Center. The price of the book is $9.95.
For bookstore hours, call 216-524-1497 or 800-445-9667.
