Interurban marker dedicated in Lima

5/17/2004

LIMA, Ohio - A historical marker was dedicated here recently in front of the Allen County Health Department on East Market Street.

The marker commemorates the "Interurban Era," which refers to the relatively short period during which electric railroads were popular.

The current health department building was the terminal passenger building of the Ohio Electric Railway Co., which operated in Lima from 1907 to 1923.

Electric railways played a vital role in reducing the isolation of city dwellers, but they were largely abandoned by the advent of the Great Depression because of the mass production of automobiles.

Earlier this month, the Ohio Historical Society dedicated a marker at the Lima Premcor Refinery, the oldest continuously operating oil refinery site in Ohio.