In 1804, the first steam locomotive engine was built. It was a revolution of its time. What began as a simple experiment quickly boomed into one of the biggest modes of transportation around the world, reinventing what travel meant. Railroads connected communities and changed people’s way of life.

​On April 15, the Lakewood Public Library hosted a meet-the-author event showcasing Manny Marotta and his book on the Lake Shore Electric Railway Company, which was an interurban electric railway system that ran across the Ohio coast of Lake Erie. It connected cities like Cleveland to smaller towns and villages such as Lakewood and Rocky River, all the way to Sandusky.

​“This one was an amalgamation of many smaller electric railways, and it was the only one running in Northeast Ohio that was interurban, meaning between cities. It was the only way people could get around between cities that was not a private car,” Marotta said.

​Running from the late 1890s to 1938, the railway was a lifeline to many people, shaping the daily lives of everyone it passed. Before cars were introduced into everyday life, the railway was a way for people to travel, see new places, and get to work.

​“This event resonates with me so much. I always heard my grandma talk about how her own grandmother would take the Lake Shore Electric Railway, and just how much it meant to her. She would describe it not just as a way to get from place to place, but as something that was part of everyday life along the lake,” said Dick McDermott, an attendee of the meet-the-author event.

​The train passed through many different parts of northern Ohio, including rural land and townships. Many homes did not have running water or electricity in the late 1800’s, so to have access to the amenities of bathrooms and electricity while traveling was a cherished experience. The trains were also elegantly designed with polished wood, brass, and metal accents, and well-kept interiors; some were also adorned with cut stained glass.

​Back in the day, Cleveland was famous for its 2-cent fare, and the Lake Shore Electric Railway was no exception. To take a train from Cleveland to Sandusky would run passengers around 60 cents—about $20 to $22 today.

​“The most surprising thing to me is that the amusement parks and the railway collaborated together to bring passengers and customers there,” Marotta said. The railways would partner with amusement parks such as Euclid Beach Park, Puritas Springs Park, and Cedar Point, offering reduced round-trip fares to them.

​The book’s idea originally came from Marotta’s lifelong friend, Richard A. Egan. Egan was a train enthusiast, and after 30 years of work on the project, he passed away. Marotta, along with Thomas Patton and Dennis Lament, made it their mission to finish the book.

The library offers many different books in its meet-the-author program. Many of them are passion projects like these. “These are always passion projects. You can tell they’re really into it, and that’s what’s so exciting,” said Lisa Calfe, programmer of the meet-the-author events and Lakewood Public Library Librarian. “We’re always on the lookout for interesting books about local history, and actually, they approached us.”

​Trains are an important part of history, but they have been increasingly phased out of passenger rail service. The Lake Shore Electric Railway now exists only in photos, museums, and on maps. The book encompasses many of the memories seen throughout the late 1800’s and early 1900s. Events like the meet-the-author program at the Lakewood Public Library help bring that history back into focus, connecting past generations to the present.