The Van Sweringens negotiated with executives of Nickle Plate Railroad, operated by New York Central, for the right to run rapid tracks through a two mile stretch of land in East Cleveland. An agreement was struck. The Van Sweringen Co. would deed half of the Rapid's right-of-way to NYC, the latter of which would finance much of the project. Upon completion, the railroad tracks typically ran parallel to the transit line from Shaker Heights to downtown Cleveland, providing NYC direct access to the markets of a growing city. The relationship formed between New York Central's Vice President, Alfred H. Smith, and O. P. Van Sweringen would guide the entrepreneurial brothers in the development of their own railroad empire. | Source: Shaker Historical SocietyDownload Original File
