Railroad: Alpena and Northern Railroad Company

Built → Alpena and Northern Railroad → Detroit & Mackinac Railway

Built: 1893

Operated for 2 years.

Sold to: Detroit & Mackinac in 1895.

Reference: [MRRC]

Notes

The Alpena and Northern Railroad was built in 1893 from Alpena (north of the Thunder Bay River) to LaRoque (now known as Hawks) in Presque Isle County. The Jackson Lake branch from LaRoque to the Valentine Lake area in Montmorency County was built in 1894. This railroad was affiliated with the logging interests of the Alger, Smith & Company. In 1895, the line was sold to the Detroit & Mackinac Railway.

Time Line

1890. John Deniston, with the railroad boarding house car, was shoved onto the Hoffman branch, 50 miles north of Bay City, and had to get his supplies by hand car, the track being blockaded by log trains. On coming up to a standing train he would dump the hand car off the track, the train would move up, and he would go on. John wrote for the editor of the Mirror to make him a visit, but he did not feel like lifting hand cars. [NDS-1890-0222] Editors Note: Hoffman was between Posen and South Rogers City.

1893. August 11. Work of laying iron on the Alpena & Northern railway commenced yesterday. [GRH-1893-0811]

1893. October 4. The work of laying the rails on the Alpena and Northwestern (sic) railroad has ceased for the present, as all the iron the company had has been laid. At present the construction gang is employed ballasting the part of the road on which the rails have been laid. [AAN-1893-1004]

1893. October 25. A part of A&N runs across the land of Arthur Heney, near the city, and is one of the few places where the right of way was not secured. The question of damages was left to an arbitration committee, and last week it was decided that $100 would be enough to pay the damage. [AAN-1893-1025]

1893. November 20. The Alpena & Northwestern [sic] was opened for regular business and the intention is to run a train every day to leave the City of Alpena at 7:30 o'clock in the morning for Posen, and return in the evening. Fare three cents per mile. Trains leave from the depot of the DBC&A railroad. [AAN-1893-1122]

1893. November 22. The first carload of freight was taken over the Alpena & Northwestern [sic] railroad last Thursday. Men are at work erecting a telephone line along the Alpena & Northwestern railroad.

1893. December 19. The Alpena & Northern Railroad is completed nearly to Lake May. [DFP-12/18/1893]

1894. January. The A&N has now a finer passenger coach than the DBC&A railroad. The seats are nicely upholstered, with high backs, and are very comfortable to sit in, and the coach is heated by steam. The A&N is doing a good business in passengers and hauling logs, although the latter is but partially commenced. [AAN-1894-0131]

1894. May 2. Nearly two car loads of passengers went north on the Alpena & Northern railroad Monday morning. (AAN-1894-0502]

1894. June. The extension of Alger, Smith & Co.'s railroad from Lake May into this county is now being rapidly pushed forward. About 250 men are at work and it is expected that the line will be completed to Valentine Lake, six miles north of Atlanta, by the 1st of August, when the road will then run their passenger and freight train daily to and from Alpena. This will give the people of Atlanta and vicinity good connection with Alpena and which will receive much patronage. At Valentine Lake, the road will branch, one running east to brush Creek timber, and the other branch running west into township 31-1 east, where the company owns considerable pine timber. Alger Smith & Co. estimate that they have from 6-8 years lumbering in the north part of this county. (From the Atlanta Tribune) [DFP-1894-0603]

1894. August 22. The Atlanta (MI) Tribune says that the grading on the branch of the Alpena & Northern railroad has been completed as far as Clear Lake, nine miles north of Atlanta, and the rails up to within three miles of that point. It is expected that trains will be running to Jackson Lake, five miles north of Atlanta, by the first of October. [AAN-1894-0822]

1894. October 3. The western terminus of the Alpena & Northern railroad is at Jackson Lake, about five miles (north) from Atlanta, in Montmorency county. The passenger train leaves Alpena at 8:30 in the morning, arriving at the terminus at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and leaves Jackson Lake at 2:30, arriving in Alpena at 6:00 o'clock. [AAN-1894-1003]

1895. April 11. Alpena & Northern Sold. After negotiations lasting several months, a deal has just been consummated whereby the Alpena & Northern passes into the control of the Detroit & Mackinac. The Alpena & Northern was the property of Alger, Smith & Co. It runs back some 60 miles into their timber limits. One regular freight, a mail and passenger train and five log trains have done a large business. The terms of the deal are private. [D&M] General Manager Hawks gives it out that the road will not be extended north this year, and if satisfactory freight rates can be secured over the Michigan Central, the Detroit & Mackinac will continue to use the Michigan Central line to Bay City [via Alger]. [PHTH-4/11/1895]

1900. May. Hot forest fires are reported raging all along the A&N railroad between Millersburg and Valentine lake. Near the latter place, 16,000 ties, owned principally by T.B. Barry are burned. At Millersburg, many millions of pine and hemlock that are on railroad skids are threatened. Thousands of cords of hemlock bark have been burned. Fishermen who started last night for the trout streams forty miles back from here returned this evening, saying that the smoke was too dense to remain in the woods. Only the lumber that has been put in the streams seems to be out of danger. [DFP-1900-0501]