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  • Railroad time in Ohio pre-1883

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in the American Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas. For questions specific to a railroad company, please seek the appropriate forum.
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in the American Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas. For questions specific to a railroad company, please seek the appropriate forum.

Moderator: railohio

 #654244  by ExCon90
 
I'm not sure whether this is the right forum for this question, but it's the closest I can find.

Prior to the adoption of the four Standard Time Zones in November 1883, each railroad operated on its own standard of time (usually the local time of its headquarters city), but in Ohio, as nearly as I can determine, all railroads operated on Columbus time, even those, such as the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and the Marietta & Cincinnati, which didn't go near Columbus. I'm wondering whether there was a State law (or a regulation of a State regulatory commission) prior to 1883 requiring that all railroads operating in the State of Ohio run on Columbus time. I've tried a few sources but can't pin anything down. I do volunteer work at the Library of the National Railway Historical Society, and this crops up from time to time; I'd be glad of any factual information anyone may have about this.

ExCon90
 #654281  by polybalt
 
Prior to the adoption of the four Standard Time Zones in November 1883, each railroad operated on its own standard of time (usually the local time of its headquarters city), but in Ohio, as nearly as I can determine, all railroads operated on Columbus time, even those, such as the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and the Marietta & Cincinnati, which didn't go near Columbus. I'm wondering whether there was a State law (or a regulation of a State regulatory commission) prior to 1883 requiring that all railroads operating in the State of Ohio run on Columbus time. I've tried a few sources but can't pin anything down. I do volunteer work at the Library of the National Railway Historical Society, and this crops up from time to time; I'd be glad of any factual information anyone may have about this.

ExCon90
I suspect there was a thing called Ohio Standard Time established by State Law in Ohio before it was established in other states?, meaning all towns and cities in Ohio would follow it, and therefor also the railroads? I tried Googling "Ohio Standard Time" and got one reference to what appears to be an Ohio law defining an Ohio Standard Time. I don't know when it would have been adopted.