Newark & Granville Electric Street Railway

Overview

The Newark & Granville Electric Street Railway was a pioneering electric railway that connected Newark and Granville in Licking County, Ohio.

Chartered on May 10, 1888, the company built one of the nation’s earliest electric railways linking two separate communities. Initial service began on Dec. 28, 1889, and the line was completed into downtown Granville by Sept. 1, 1890.

The railway was frequently cited by later historians as one of the first, and possibly the first, true electric interurban railways in the United States. It also became one of the earliest interurbans to carry U.S. mail.

The line later became a component of the Ohio Electric Railway system, one of the Midwest’s largest interurban networks. Passenger service between Newark and Granville ended on March 10, 1923, bringing to a close more than three decades of operation.