Inventory of the The Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railway Company Records, 1895-1973

History of

The Akron, Canton & Youngstown (AC&Y) Railway Company was incorporated in 1907, through planning by H. B. Stewart and Z. W. Davis and backing from F. A. Seiberling. Operation of the railroad, which ran from Akron to Mogadore, Ohio to connect with the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad, began on October 1, 1912.

After leasing (in March 1920) The Northern Ohio Railway Company from the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, The Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railway Company included one hundred and seventy-one miles of track running from Mogadore to Delphos, Ohio and making connections at twenty-one different junctions with nine different railroads.

In April 1933, largely due to factors relating to the Great Depression, The AC&Y Railway Company and the Northeast Ohio Railway Company went into bankruptcy stating that they were unable to meet their obligations and desired to effect reorganization. Plans for reorganizing and consolidating the AC&Y Railway Company and the Northern Ohio Railway Company were presented to the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1937. The U.S. District Court approved the plan and ordered it into operation. It was then presented to the U.S. Supreme Court where final approval was given in February 1944. The merging of the two railway companies then became known as The Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad Company. The AC&Y Company, known as "The Road of Service," continued to serve the transportation needs of some of Akron's largest rubber companies, as well as other shippers. In later years, road stone and fluxing stone from Carey, Ohio became important products for transport by rail.

The AC&Y Railroad Company sold its stock to the Norfolk and Western Railway Company in 1964 and was, as of 1969, a fully-owned subsidiary of the Norfolk and Western Railway Company with the autonomous operation under its own board of directors. Details of the purchases and consolidations of various small railroad companies prior to the consolidation of the AC&Y Railway Company in 1907 follows:

The Cleveland, Delphos & St. Louis Railroad Company, incorporated on March 9, 1881, ran from Delphos to Carey, Ohio.

The Cleveland & Western Railroad Company, incorporated on December 30, 1884, ran from Cleveland to Delphos via Carey, Ohio.

The Pittsburgh, Akron & Western Railway Company (originally known as the Ohio Railway Company), incorporated on November 10, 1883, and ran from Akron to Tiffin, Ohio.

The Cleveland & Western Railroad Company, on January 6, 1890, acquired the Cleveland, Delphos & St. Louis Railroad Company.

The Pittsburgh, Akron & Western Railroad Company, formed on March 11, 1890, was the result of consolidation of the Pittsburgh, Akron & Western Railway Company and the Cleveland & Western Railroad Company.

The Lake Erie & Western Railroad Company, on October 1, 1895, leased The Northern Ohio Railway Company and operated it until March 1920, when they then leased it to The AC&Y.

Scope and Content

The Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railway Company Records (1895-1968) consists of articles of incorporation, minute books, stock records, maps and other miscellaneous records of the AC&Y Railway Company as well as various other companies affiliated with the AC&Y. The collection focuses largely on the time period from 1895-1930s. The collection documents the development of the railroad industry in and around the Akron, Ohio area when the old booming canal days were beginning to fade. Railroads provided the vital service of transporting the products of some of the world's largest rubber companies. Minute books, papers from the secretary's office, and maps provide insights into the actual operations of the AC&Y Railway Company and the Northern Ohio Railway Company. These records, which cover the period from 1895 to 1943, are quite thorough. Unfortunately, many of the papers are not dated; many serious gaps in years are found among the various folders and because of the limited material relevant to the smaller companies, it is difficult to determine the interrelationships of these firms with the AC&Y Railway Company.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Permission to reproduce or publish materials in this collection must be secured in writing from Archival Services, University Libraries, The University of Akron.

Restrictions on Access

No restrictions on access; except not available through interlibrary loan. Copyright restrictions may apply. Permission to reproduce or publish materials in this collection must be secured in writing from Archival Services, University Libraries, The University of Akron.

Eire Lackawanna Railway Company Records

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Organizations/Corporations:

Preferred Citation

Preferred Citation: [Identification of Item], Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railway Company Records, Archival Services, University Libraries, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio

Acquisition Information

The Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad Company donated these records to the University of Akron in 1973

Processing Information

Processed by Archival Services Staff, re-housed by Adrienne Browning and finding aid updated 2013

Detailed Description of The Collection