Garrett, Auburn and Northern Electric Railroad

The Garrett, Auburn and Northern Electric Railroad (GA&N) was organized by Frank L. Welsheimer[1] and incorporated on March 28, 1901, in the U.S. state of Indiana. It was formed to build an interurban railway from Garrett to Hamilton via Auburn and Waterloo,[1][2] and had hoped to have completed construction by the end of Summer 1901.[3] The initial cost estimate to construct 21 miles (34 km) of line was between $300,000 and $500,000.[4] It was proposed that the railroad would form part of a continuous interurban line in conjunction with the Toledo and Western Railroad, Toledo and Indiana Railway and Chicago and Indiana Air Line Railway that would connect Toledo to Chicago, with the GA&N also building a branch from Waterloo to Fort Wayne,[5][6][7] which would enable connections on other lines to Indianapolis.[8] The combined line was known as the Toledo & Chicago Interurban Railway, with Welsheimer working as secretary of the system.[9][10]

Garrett, Auburn and Northern Electric Railroad
Overview
Localenorthern Indiana, USA
Dates of operation1901 (1901) (chartered)
–
Technical
Length21 mi (34 km)

The last of the right-of-way acquisitions to start construction was completed in Auburn in late July 1901.[11][12] Although the Waterloo city council granted a franchise to build on the city streets there in April 1901,[13] the city council of Garrett finally approved the franchise to build the line on city streets in Garrett on December 23, 1902.[14] Some reports of the time considered the plan foolish and claimed that it would not be built.[15][16][17] Steel was ordered and construction began in Spring 1903.[8][18] Construction of the line was contested in 1903 by the Wabash Railroad who initiated a frog war when the GA&N attempted to build across its line at Montpelier, Ohio.[19][note 1] Construction continued into 1905 with the first trains expected between Garrett and Auburn by November.[9] The first regular trains on the route, operating as Toledo & Chicago trains, ran between Auburn and Garrett on February 22, 1906.[21]

Notes
  1. However, before this railroad was incorporated, agents for the Wabash had proposed a similar electric line to connect Auburn and Garrett to haul both passengers and freight.[20]

References
  1. "An Electric Road Is Coming Through Waterloo, Starting at Garrett". The Waterloo Press. April 4, 1901. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "New Electric Line". The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. March 29, 1901. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "(untitled)". Garrett Clipper. Garrett, IN. April 4, 1901. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "(untitled)". Steuben Republican. Angola, IN. April 17, 1901. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Railway Talk. There Seems to be a Little Better Show for Electric Lines". Garrett Clipper. July 6, 1905. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Toledo-Chicago Electric Line". Garrett Clipper. January 8, 1903. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Plan for Another Electric Road". The Fort Wayne News. December 29, 1902. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Chicago-Toledo-Indianapolis". The Inter Ocean. March 12, 1903. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Electric Railway News. Secretary Welsheimer Gives Clipper Representative Some Pointers". Garrett Clipper. June 22, 1905. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Notice of Appropriation of Land, Under Street and Interurban Railway Acts". Garrett Clipper. October 19, 1905. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "(untitled)". Fort Wayne Weekly Journal-Gazette. Fort Wayne, IN. August 1, 1901. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "It's A Sure Thing". The Waterloo Press. August 15, 1901. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Granted the Franchise. The Waterloo Councilmen Couldn't Say "Yes" Quick Enough". Garrett Clipper. April 18, 1901. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Their Christmas Present. Garrett, Auburn & Northern Electric Railway Granted a Franchise". Garrett Clipper. December 25, 1902. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Looks Daffy. Railway Promoters Act Rather Suspicious in Their Transactions". Garrett Clipper. December 11, 1902. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Other Railroad News". Garrett Clipper. November 21, 1901. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Their Ending. Electric Railways will Only Produce Speculations in Stock". Garrett Clipper. February 13, 1902. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "(untitled)". Garrett Clipper. March 5, 1903. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Traction Line Blocked by the Wabash". The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. Fort Wayne, IN. July 1, 1903. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Men at the County Seat Want to Connect Garrett With an Electric Railway". Garrett Clipper. December 6, 1900. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "(untitled)". Garrett Clipper. March 1, 1906. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
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