Ashtabula train disaster of 1876

[JR]

I know there are some train buffs here so I thought I'd share this. Another anniversary of one of the worst train bridge failures in the US has passed. Ashtabula is the town I work in, an old industrial town on the shore of Lake Erie, this is something that volunteers and officials have really made a point to keep the memories alive.

I've been to the site of the wreck. It's back off any roads buried in the woods. Such a peaceful quiet place. You can't help but stand at the waters edge at the bottom of the bridge and think about how the events unfolded that night. It had to be horrendous.



A movie recreating the accident is in the works, it was scheduled for release this year but hAs been pushed back because you know...Covid.

There is a video towards the bottom showing some of the locations they will be filming from.

https://recollections.biz/blog/tragedy-retold-the-ashtabula-train-disaster/

 

[GCroyle]

JR

Interesting never heard of it before. And I grew up just west of Cleveland.

Gary

 

[JR]

Gary I thought maybe if anyone you would have known of it.
If you know where the hospital in Ashtabula is, it happened almost due east.

 

[GCroyle]

JR

We had to get permission to cross the Cuyahoga that west side east side thing.
About the closest we got to that area for camping was Pymatuning SP, a festival in Pierpont.

Gary

 

[JR]

Are you sure it wasn't Pioneer Days in Pierpont?

 

[GCroyle]

That's it, Pioneer Days. Our then three yr old Andrea dressed in bib overalls and a straw hat won second place in the beauty pageant amongst the pageant dressed little girls that day.

A real small town everyone knew everyone festival. Might have been the first time we saw horses log pulling for accuracy. Good stuff.

 

[JR]

Yes sir. I bought My first house in Pierpont. Very small, tight knit group.

This year would have marked the 130th (consecutive) year for Pioneer Days. Cancelled due to Covid. Boy would it ever be neat to experience the Days back then.

 

[crispyboy]

What a sad historical event but worthy of remembering. It was worth the time to watch this guys video.