Posted in Barberton History, Barberton Rail, People

In industrial towns of the early 1900, death by train was not an uncommon event. The area near Barberton’s Diamond Match factory was busy with main line freight and passenger traffic as well as the switching of rail cars on the factory grounds.

Woman Crushed

On April 2 1901, an otherwise pleasant morning turned deadly when forty-five year old Mrs. W.A. Clark, of Diamond Ave., was killed by a Cleveland, Akron & Columbus freight train.

At about 11 o’clock that morning, Mrs. Clark was on her way to the meet with her husband who was employed at the Diamond Match factory. The C.A. & C. freight train was stopped at the Diamond Ave. crossing when Mrs. Clark decided to crawl under one of its cars. The error of her decision quickly claimed her life.  As the freight train resumed its journey, Mrs. Clark was crushed under its wheels.