Rittman group raising funds to preserve and move rail station to Rails to Trails field

RITTMAN − Picture a time when Rittman industries such as the salt and boxboard companies, local businesses, tile factories and tobacco farms were at their peak and the only way to get a product out for shipment was via the railroads.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Rittman Public Library, a group interested in preserving the restored railroad station will present its plan to the Rittman Lion's Club.

Ethan Williams will give a program about the station history and making a plea for support in the preservation project.

In his presentation Williams will share some local history, like Rittman being named after the treasurer of the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroad, Frederick B. Rittman, due to city’s former name of Arkona often being confused by passengers bound for Akron. To solve the issue, the NYP&O Railroad (later the Erie Railroad) renamed the town Rittman.

In 1871, the Akron and Chicago Junction began laying track through Rittman for its route between Akron and Chicago Junction (later renamed Willard). In the 1890s, the A&CJ was leased by the Baltimore and Ohio for 999 years which allowed for the mainline to connect from Chicago to Pittsburgh.

In 1891, the B&O opened a freight/passenger station in Rittman. It was built and based on a standard wood frame design by the Akron and Chicago Junction Railroad. The railroad in the early 1900s also built a maintenance shed to house tools and a handcar (later gas powered motorcars/speeders) for general track maintenance and inspection.

Warren G. Harding funeral and William Taft's campaign trains

It is thought that during World War I, the freight side of the station was extended to accommodate larger war time shipments. The building still retains this modification as well as the northwest corner of the roof cut off to accommodate box trucks in the alleyway.

During the station’s heyday, it saw the funeral train for Warren G. Harding, William Taft’s campaign train, and a whistle stop speech by Harry Truman in October of 1948.

The future of the station became uncertain when the financially struggling Baltimore and Ohio cut the last east and westbound passenger trains from the station in the 1970s which put an end to passenger service on the B&O to the town of Rittman.

After the passenger cut, the station was used as a maintenance and storage facility by B&O, later Chessie System in 1973 and now CSX Transportation.

Nowadays the station sits as one of Rittman’s oldest standing landmarks with an uncertain future with CSX Transportation, Williams said.

Businesses in Rittman would sometimes stay open late to accommodate late arriving rail passengers. This was the genesis of the annual Rittman Sleepwalker Festival, a time to celebrate late commerce hours.

Preserving a piece of history

"Ever since I was little and growing up in Rittman, I’ve always liked the trains running through here," Williams said. "The sounds, size of the locomotives and the equipment has always fascinated me."

Williams wondered what could be done to preserve that piece of history.

"Talking with my dad (Dave Williams) and Mayor Bill Robertson, we found a lead to negotiate with CSX on saving this very historic and rare piece of railroad history," Williams said. "In 2022, CSX agreed that they would remove the rare station and maintenance shed off of their demolition list.

"Once the William J. Robertson Nature Preserve was completed, many of the volunteers from that project turned their ambition to saving the station," he continued. "CSX headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla., gave us two options for the preservation of the station. The first option was to leave the station where it currently stands and do a cosmetic restoration on the structure which would not allow the station to be open for public use. The second option is to move the station away from railroad property which would allow for the building to be open to the public."

The small group of volunteers chose the second option.

Robertson and Rittman resident Jim Trogdon researched preserved railroad structures. They learned it is possible to move these types of buildings, and in March 2022, CSX maintenance workers opened the station and maintenance shed for viewing. What they found was well-preserved and maintained interiors for both buildings.

"This 'open house' galvanized the volunteers' passion for the preservation of these structures. The inside of the station is in far better repair than the weathered outside," Williams said. "The small group of volunteers met with Barry Romich of the Romich Foundation to develop a business plan for a strategy to collect donations and grants to move and preserve the station.

"Since then, more community members have participated in the monthly planning meetings," he continued. "The volunteer group had some members of the Rittman Historical Society within it, which led to a natural fit to partner with the Rittman Historical Society."

Robertson was instrumental in connecting this larger group with the Wayne County Community Foundation.

A lot of passion with a little bit of money

"We have now established an acorn fund for people, organizations or businesses to donate money toward this project.," Williams said. "We need a total of $100,000 to complete the project, $30,000 for moving the structures, and $70,000 for a basement foundation and complete restoration of the station and maintenance shed."

The proposed location to move the structures is on the Rails to Trail County Line bike trail in the triangular field between Sterling Avenue and Erie Street.

"We envision the restored station will be used for community meeting space and a small Rittman railroad museum," he said. "This museum would include a one off canister of 'Truman Salt' that Morton Salt gave to President Truman at his whistle stop speech (in Oct. 1948). Truman said he would sprinkle the salt on his opponent."

Anyone interested in joining the volunteer group to save these pieces of railroading history is welcome to attend the next meeting at the new Rittman Public Library at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Donations to the preservation project can be made at https://wccfoh.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=2386

The Rittman Scouts will make a donation to the project at 5 p.m. Tuesday, at the train station. Members of the Rittman Historical Society and the Wayne County Community Foundation will be there.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Rittman preservation group sharing plans for railroad depot relocation