Skip to Main Content

Historical Marker for Ashtabula Train Disaster.
Historical Marker for Ashtabula Train Disaster.

Ashtabula Horror - Train Wreck Disaster

Field review by the editors.

Ashtabula, Ohio

"The Ashtabula Horror" so traumatized this city that three memorials commemorate it: a plaque near the crash scene, an obelisk in the cemetery, and an audio memorial outside of the hospital.

It happened on December 29, 1876, when the Ashtabula Creek Bridge collapsed into a 70-foot-deep gorge.

In a blizzard.

With a train on top of it.

Ninety-two of its 159 passengers and crew were killed. As if the crash weren't bad enough, the passenger cars' stoves caught fire and incinerated many of the survivors.

Driving in the cemetery.
Mass grave hunting as darkness falls (and before the cemetery locks the gates).

Then robbers invaded the flaming wreck and murdered several more.

This disaster was so bad that it reportedly killed railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt from shock. The bridge designer later committed suicide. The railroad's chief engineer was murdered and it was made to look like a suicide. Ashtabula became a shunned town, its growth stunted, with homeowners and businesses bypassing it in favor of Cleveland.

Overall, not much to commemorate, but Ashtabula makes the best of what it has.

The train wreck historical marker used to be down by the railroad tracks, just west of the crash scene, but it's been moved north to the grounds of the Ashtabula County Medical Center. It notes that The Ashtabula Horror "is listed as one of the world's ten worst technology disasters in the past 375 years."

Mass grave inscription.

RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report

Ashtabula Horror - Train Wreck Disaster

Address:
Lake Ave., Ashtabula, OH
Directions:
Train Wreck Historical Marker: Hwy 11 north to US 20 exit. West on US 20, over the bridge, then right at light onto Lake Ave. Go under the railroad overpass. The marker is on the right, as you reach the grounds of the Ashtabula County Medical Center.
Save to My Sights

RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report

Train Wreck Audio Memorial

Ashtabula County Medical Center

Address:
Lake Ave., Ashtabula, OH
Directions:
Hwy 11 north to US 20 exit. West on US 20, over the bridge, then right at light onto Lake Ave. Go under the railroad overpass. A few more blocks on the right will be the Ashtabula County Medical Center. The memorial is in the little garden in front of the front entrance.
Save to My Sights

RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report

Train Wreck Grave Obelisk

Chestnut Grove Cemetery

Address:
Grove Dr., Ashtabula, OH
Directions:
Chestnut Grove Cemetery. Hwy 11 north to US 20 exit. West on US 20, over the bridge, then an immediate left onto Main Ave. Go through downtown. Make a left onto Grove Drive at the car dealership, just before railroad overpass. The cemetery is at the end of the street. The obelisk is at the top of the hill, toward the back, near the center, tallest one in the cemetery.
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Abe Lincoln HeadAbe Lincoln Head, Ashtabula, OH - 2 mi.
Longest Covered Bridge in U.S.Longest Covered Bridge in U.S., Ashtabula, OH - 2 mi.
Eat Pizza In a Covered BridgeEat Pizza In a Covered Bridge, North Kingsville, OH - 6 mi.
In the region:
Birthplace of Superman - Jerry Siegel's House, Cleveland, OH - 48 mi.

More Quirky Attractions in Ohio

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in Ohio.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Create and Save Your Own Crazy Road Trip! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Ohio Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

Easter Island Moai in America (Mar 25-31, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings