Thanks, Deb. I'd love to visit Ridgeville one day. Pat [email protected] wrote: I grew up in Ridgeville, and aways thought the intersection of State Rte. 83 and U.S. Rte 20 was Ridgeville Center. The intersection of Rts. 83 and 254 is in Avon Twp. The area of Ridgeville Twp. where the railroad crosses State Rte. 83, south of US Rte 20 (a.k.a. Center Ridge Rd.), was also called "Shawville". The Ridge Lumber Co. still has one of the railroad "bunkhouses" from the Shawville station. Deb > Pat, > > In the 1870s the L.S. & M. S. ( Lake Shore & Michigan Southern) Railroad > ran through Ridgeville, south of Detroit Road (State Rt. 254). At that > time, the area at the junction of current State Rts. 83 and 254, which was > the main business area of Ridgeville, was known as Ridgeville Center. The > area a little further south on State Rt. 83, where the railroad crossed, > was known as Ridgeville Station. A depot was located at this location, on > the west side of Rt. 83. Since the L.S.& M.S. was the only railroad that > went through Ridgeville in the 1870s, and your ancestor lived in > Ridgeville, there is a good chance that he was an employee of that > railroad. A "railroad hand" was probably involved in maintaining the right > of way, inspecting track, etc. > > The L.S. & M.S. later became the New York Central Railroad, and the line > through North Ridgeville, currently exists as the Consolidated Railroad > Corp., commonly known as "Conrail". The depot at Rt. 83 no longer exists > at its former location. I may be wrong, but I seem to remember that the > depot building was saved and moved to a new location. Interestingly, an > abandoned section of the L.S & M. S. Railroad has been made into a bicycle > and walking trail between Elyria and Kipton. The bicycle trail runs > through rural country, and a couple of old bridges and stone crossings > over creeks, make the ride a pleasant trip through early Lorain County > railroad history. > > Richard > > > ==== OHLORAIN Mailing List ==== > Visit the Lorain County Genealogy page > http://www.centurytel.net/lorgen > > ==== OHLORAIN Mailing List ==== Visit the Lorain County Genealogy page http://www.centurytel.net/lorgen

The N. Ridgeville Historical Society may have some old railroad records. Deb