Railroad: Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad

The Grand Rapids & Indiana was a created around 1871 to build north from Fort Wayne Indiana into Michigan via Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids and extending to Mackinaw City. The line was funded by the Pennsylvania railroad as early as 1874. The line also built branch lines to Muskegon, Traverse City, Harbor Springs and other resort properties along their lines. They also joined with the Michigan Central and Detroit & Cleveland Navigation company to build the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. The GR&I was folded into the Pennsylvania (in 1953) and Penn Central (in 1968), Conrail (1976) railroads before being dismantled, partially abandoned, and sold to the state of Michigan or other short lines.

Built → Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad → Pennsylvania Railroad

Built: 1870 (Grand Rapids to a point 20 miles north)

Operated for 52 years.

Became: 1922 - Became Pennsylvania railroad (leased)

Reference: [MRRC][AAB]

Notes

Building a railroad from Indiana north to Grand Rapids and northern Michigan was originally an idea which began in Hartford, Indiana. The southern point was changed to Fort Wayne and land grants were secured in the Michigan legislature which would fund construction. The founders searched for capital to build the line and secure the land grants but it was not forthcoming. A company affiliated with the Pennsylvania railroad was formed in 1869, known as the Continental Improvement Company, and they had two months to complete construction. They were successful which was quite an effort considering that rail had to be brought in.

The remainder of the line from Fort Wayne north through Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids to Cadillac was completed in 1871 and Petoskey was reached in 1874. The line was extended to Mackinaw City, arriving in 1882 (one year after the Michigan Central reached the same town). Other branches off the main line to Muskegon, Lake City, and Traverse City (and others) were folded into the GR&I over the years. Some are still operating under state ownership or by other railroads.

Though owned by the Pennsylvania, the line was operated as the GR&I until after World War I. It was renamed as the Pennsylvania railroad but informally called the GR&I for many years thereafter. This property was conveyed to the Penn Central corporation in 1968. Since that time, much of the line was sold to the State of Michigan or abandoned.

Photo Info: Grand Rapids & Indiana No 10, taken in 1882 in Grand Rapids. [Stoner collection, UMB]. Below, a GR&I system map in 1943.

Books

The Fishing Line, A History of the GR&I railroad by Graydon Meints.

Map

Time Line

1881. The moving of the general offices of the GR&I into their elegant new quarters in Grand Rapids has been completed. [DFP-1881-0728]

1902. The GR&I extends train service to Northport from Traverse City over the tracks of the Traverse City, Leelanau & Manistique Railroad. [MCR-1903]

1903. SNAPSHOT: The GR&I employed 93 enginemen, 94 firemen, 65 conductors and 153 other trainmen, 320 shopmen, 95 section foreman and 260 section hands, 75 switchmen, 79 telegraph operators, 81 station agents and 8 train dispatchers. The line operated between Fort Wayne, Indiana and Mackinaw City, Michigan with nine branch lines. They operated 9 miles of double track (Petoskey to Harbor Springs). The railroad operated 183 stations in Michigan and owns 82 locomotives, 19 12-wheel passenger cars, 49 8-wheel passenger cars, 24 baggage and express cars, 1,622 box cars, 46 stock cars, 817 platform cars, 540 ore cars and 52 conductor's way cars. Top five categories of freight tonnage hauled: Logs (25%); lumber (22%), Bituminous coal (11%); manufactured goods (7%) and fruits and vegetables (5%).

1922. The ICC approves lease of the GR&I railroad by the Pennsylvania railroad. [NYT-1922-0728:21]

2023. Most former GR&I trackage has been abandoned in Michigan following the sale or abandonment of trackage after the Penn Central bankruptcy and emergence of Conrail. Some industry trackage continues to exist in Sturgis and Kalamazoo. The line from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids is operated by the Grand Elk railroad. North of Grand Rapids to Cadillac was sold to the State of Michigan but later abandoned. Former GR&I lines from Cadillac to Petoskey and Walton Junction to Traverse City are still owned by the state and operated by the Great Lakes Central railroad.