Railroad: Detroit and Charlevoix Railroad Company, The

The Detroit & Charlevoix railroad was built around 1893 by lumber baron David Ward to connect the forests with a connection at Fredrick to the Michigan Central. The line was extended west to East Jordan. Ward passed away in 1900 and the railroad and timber holdings were operated by his children and associates. The D&C was reorganized in 1901 and a large sawmill was built at Deward, along the line. The timber holdings were depleted and the saw mill removed in 1912. In 1907, the Michigan Central purchased the railroad and operated it as a branch line until 1932.

Frederick & Charlevoix railroad → Detroit & Charlevoix railroad → Michigan Central railroad

Railroad Operated Independently: 6 years

Built: 1901 (may have acquired Frederick & Charlevoix, a logging road)

Became: Michigan Central in 1907.

Reference: [MRRC]

Notes

This line was completed Frederick to East Jordan in 1901. Leased to MCRR in 1907.

Time Line

1901. Road completed from Frederick to Alba on September 2. And from Alba to South Arm on September 16. The line had one branch from Blue Lake Junction eight miles west. [MCR-1903]

1901. Clark Haire, trainmaster of the Michigan Central in Jackson has resigned. He has accepted the control of the Detroit & Charlevoix, which traverses valuable pine forests from Frederick, Crawford County to East Jordan, Charlevoix county, a distance of 45 miles. The railway is owned by the David Ward estate. The road has been a logging road, but now, under Mr. Haire's control will be fully operated with passenger trains, etc. The equipment is all on the ground and Mr. Haire assumes control at once. The headquarters will be at Deward, named after the late David Ward. At this place it is proposed to erect lumbering mills as compete as any in the lumbering business, to cost $200,000. The Detroit & Charlevoix makes connections with the Michigan Central, the Pere Marquette, the Grand Rapids & Indiana and with Lake Michigan, and is believed by those interested to have a promising future. [PHTH-1901-0819]

1902. SNAPSHOT. Four of five directors of this road were named "Ward", living in Orchard Lake, Bay City and Pontiac. There were 7 stockholders. This is 60 lb. rail in good condition. The company owns a telegraph line. The company uses the GR&I depot at Alba, and the MC railroad depot at Frederic. The road has 3 modern locomotives equipped with air brakes and 25 Russell logging cars of heavy capacity with patent couplers. It has 29 60,000-pound capacity platform cars, equipped with couplers and air brakes; 2 snow ploughs (sic) and 2 good passenger cars, equipped as required by law. The company runs 1 mixed train each way daily between Frederic and South Arm (East Jordan). The road employed 35 people, including 2 station agents, 2 enginemen and firemen, 2 conductors and 2 other trainmen. 7 section chiefs and hands. [MCR-1902 and 1903]

1902. Rail is 60 lbs to the yard. Railroad is described as in good condition. The road crossed the GR&I at Alba and the EJ&S at EJ&S crossing, 1 mile west of Jordan river. Alba was protected by an interlocker. There were 7 stations along the line. [MCR-1903]

1903. SNAPSHOT: The line is open from Frederick to South Arm, via Alba, 43.5 miles. The railroad had a branch from Blue Lake Junction west for eight miles. Other branch lines and spurs were five miles in length. This was a standard gauge railroad. There were 7 stations along the line. The road employed 4 engineers, 4 firemen, 3 conductors and 4 brakemen. The tracks were maintained by 19 laborers. 28,363 new ties were installed in 1903. The railroad owned four locomotives, 2 passenger cars (8-wheel), 39 platform cars, 39 log cars and one way car. All cars had automatic couplers and locomotives and passenger cars had air brakes. The line used their own telegraph line for 12 miles, and used their own telephone line on the rest of the line. [MCR-1904]

1905. August. The Michigan Central absorbs the Detroit & Charlevoix railroad. [RG-1905-0818:56]

1916. November. A Michigan Central circular advises that the line has been taken over and will now be operated as the East Jordan Branch of the MC. [DFP-1916-1103]