Railroad: Hancock and Calumet Railroad Company

Built → Hancock & Calumet Railroad → Mineral Range Railroad

Built: 1885 - from Hancock to Calumet via the shore of Torch Lake

Operated for 1 year. Then operated under the H&C name 14 years until 1901.

Purchased: March, 1886 by the Mineral Range but operated independently.

Became: Mineral Range in 1901.

Reference: [MRRC]

Notes

This was a 3 foot narrow gauge line. [DMG-2015-1114]

The H&C main yard was at Tamarack with a secondary yard and facilities on the main line behind the stamp mills. [CRR]

Time Line

1885. When the Mineral Range under new ownership increases rates for hauling ore, they faced an immediate backlash from the Osceola and Tamarack Mining companies. Albert Bigelow, who's board held control of both mining companies, organized the Hancock and Calumet Railroad on January 17, 1885.

Like the MR the H&C would be a narrow gauge short line running between Hancock and Red Jacket, but rather than follow the route of the Mineral Range, the H&C’s route was east from Hancock to Lake Linden, a distance of nine miles. From there it would climb the grade to Calumet, adding another eight miles. Two years later it would run a five-mile extension from Calumet to the new Allouez mine, and in 1891 it extended an additional mile to Mohawk, for a total of 23 miles of track. [DMG-2015-1114]

1885. The work grading for the new Calumet & Hancock railroad is now under way. Contracts have been made for 1,400 tons of steel rail and three iron bridges. [LCS-1885-0521]

1885. October. Two narrow-gauge engines, Nos. 2 and 3, for the Hancock & Calumet Railroad arrived here (Mackinaw City) by the Michigan Central road for transfer to the upper peninsula. [DFP-1885-1013]

1885. Line opens from Hancock and Calumet, running east from Hancock. They also open a branch from "Junction" to Lake Linden. [MCR-1895]

1886. July 17. An the annual meeting of the Mineral Range Company, held yesterday in Hancock, they purchased the Hancock & Calumet Railway, a competing line, with all its rolling stock, rights and privileges. The first installment was to be paid today and the road is now running in the interest of the Mineral Range. The amount paid is said to be $420,000. [DFP-1886-0719] The transfer will take place August 1. [WEX-1886-0729]

1886. July. The Mineral Range railroad has purchased the Hancock & Calumet railroad complete, with its rolling stock and buildings. The transfer will take place on August 1st. The terms are not made public. [WEX-1886-0729]

1887. March 12. The H&C opens an extension of their line between Calumet and Allouez. Two passenger trains continue north to Allouez each day. [SOO-2022-Q1]

1887. SNAPSHOT. An H&C timetable lists eight trains daily (4 each way) between Hancock and Lake Linden.

1887. Scheduled passenger trains between Calumet and Allouez are discontinued. [SOO-2022-Q1] Passengers were sometimes accommodated in cabooses of freight trains.

1891. The line opens an extension from Allouez to Fulton. [MCR-1893-5] It is extended north of Fulton to the end of track in 1895. [CRR]

1895. SNAPSHOT: This road rostered 8 locomotives and four passenger cars, all equipped with Westinghouse air brakes. The road has 252 cars, mostly platform and ore cars. Freight on the railroad was copper rock (75%), lumber and forest products (18%), and coal (2%). The company had 10 miles of telegraph line, which belonged to the Mineral Range railroad. The gauge of the line is 3 foot. The road employs seven train crews, 37 laborers (mostly section crews and car dumper operators), and 17 others. The road serves a "car dumper" at Mills, the site of several injuries. [MCR-1903]

1896. December. Notice to Clergymen. Application blanks for half fare permits for the year 1897, via the DSS&A, Mineral Range and Hancock & Calumet railroads may bne had at my office free of charge for all regular ordained ministers. A. Lumberthal, Ticket Agent. [IWT-1896-1212]

1901. The line is converted to standard gauge. [CRR]

1901. June 1. The line is leased to the Mineral Range railroad. [CRR]

1926. The Mineral Range railroad and the Hancock & Calumet railroad were authorized by the ICC today to abandon lines in Houghton and Keweenaw counties. One of these lines extends from Kearsarge to Ahmeek. The others are branch lines to mines. [SJHP-1926-1019] Ed. Note: This was a result of C&H properties sending their ore to Lake Linden via their own Trap Rock Valley railroad.

1930: March 12. The Michigan Public Service Commission authorizes the abandonment of the H&C between Lake Junction, Section 14 T55N-R33W in a northern direction to Osceola in Section 36 T56N-R33W, a total of six miles in Houghton County. [MPSC-1930]

1935. January 1. All H&C railroad property was conveyed to the Mineral Range railroad. [CRR]

This line was originally built as 3' gauge and then changed to standard gauge. Located in Houghton and Keweenaw counties.