Photo of the Month - March 2010

 The Gooding Farm

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CD&M #43 passing a Gooding Farm along the Columbus-Sandusky Road, what would later become US 23, in Delaware county south of Stratford.  Five Gooding farms are shown on a 1931 map of this area along US 23.  Photo from the Galen Gonser Collection

        This photo of an interurban car passing through the Ohio Country side is typical of what you would see traveling any direction out of Columbus or any other Ohio city during the 1900-1930 time period.  When the Columbus Delaware & Marion Electric Company was built through this area in 1902 it must have been a tremendous convenience to these farmers for a quick ride to town.  Certainly better then horse power.  For thirty years CD&M interurbans were a familiar site along this stretch of  US 23.

       Many interurbans in Ohio had side-of-the road right of way.  It greatly complicated road expansion projects.  If they hadn't gone out of business because of competition from automobiles, side-of-the road track would have become a big problem.   By 1933 cars and trucks had taken the CD&M's business and the CD&M was gone.

click on the photo to enlarge

Another view of the Gooding Farm along US 23 in Delaware county.  The camera is looking north.  US 23 is on the left almost off camera.  Photo from the Galen Gonser Collection.