Sorry you missed them - maybe next year
It’s too late to take advantage of Bluffton’s two passenger railroad holiday excursions, which ended Jan. 3 (1899). In case you wonder, the offer was pretty amazing.
Imagine 125 years ago taking a train from Bluffton to any stop between here and Akron. Or, from Bluffton to any stop from here to Sandusky or Muncie, Indiana, at a reduced rate.
Northern Ohio Railway locomotive
We’ve provided the text to the excursion ad from the Bluffton News, a timetable, plus some photos of these trains.
The December 1899 advertisement text:
Holiday excursions
Lake Erie and Western Railway
And
Northern Ohio Railway
Will sell for the
Christmas and New Year’s
Holidays
Excursion tickets between all stations and stops over the connecting lines all the low rate of
One and one-third
Fare for the
Round trip
Tickets will be sold on Dec. 23, 23, 25, 30 and 31, 1898, and Jan. 1, 1899, limited going to date of sale and good returning up to and including Jan. 3, 1899.
For tickets, rates, time and general information, call on any ticket agent of the above route, or address
C.F. Daly
General Passenger Agent
Lake Erie and Western passenger trail leaving Bluffton heading toward Beaverdam
Northern Ohio locomotive heading east from Pandora toward Bluffton
1880 Lake Erie and Western Railway timetable
1896 Pittsburg, Akron and Western (Northern Ohio) Railroad and Lake Erie and Western Railroad timetable
from Bluffton (Ohio) News
1899 Holiday excursions advertisement from Bluffton News