Railroad: Keweenaw Central Railroad Company

The Keweenaw Central railroad was organized in 1905 to purchase a railroad line between Mohawk and Phoenix in Keweenaw County. In 1906, they also built lines to Mandan, Lac La Belle and Calumet Jct. (where they had a connection with the Copper Range and Mineral Range (DSS&A). The line from Phoenix to Mandan was abandoned in 1918. The line was controlled during its operation by the Keweenaw Copper Company. [MRL]

Lac La Belle & Calumet railroad → Keweenaw Central Railroad → Abandoned or Sold

From: Lac la Belle & Calumet - 1905.

In Operation: 13 Years.

Abandoned. Owned by Keweenaw Copper Company.

Reference: [MRRC]

Notes

The Keweenaw Central railroad was the idea of Charles A. Wright of Hancock. He was also the capitalist who promoted the Copper Range railroad south of Houghton.

This line is different than the Keweenaw Central railroad operated during the 1970's, though some of the same trackage and equipment was used.

The KC seems to run excursion trains for any reason, mostly to Crest View Resort and Lac La Belle. Trains for berry picking, and religious organizations were offered, sometimes in connection with the Copper Range railroad from Hancock.

In 1910, railroad revenue was about 2/3's from passenger operations ($22,472) and 1/3 from freight ($11,375). The railroad operated at a $4,000 annual loss. [CN-1911-0215]

Map

Time Line

1905. January 29. Engineers are making a preliminary survey for a railway line through Keweenaw county. The survey has been completed from the Mohawk mine through the valley of the Gratiot river, and thence past the old Delaware mine. The Mohawk mine marks the present northerly limit of railroad facilities in Keweenaw county. It is connected with the southern part of the district by the Mineral Range railroad, but it is understood that neither this nor the Copper Range railroad companies are interested in the new proposition, which is backed by Hancock capitalists who were the original promoters of the Copper Range railroad which was built southward to Greenland through forty miles of forest. [DFP-1905-0130]

1905. This new railroad takes over operations of the Lac La Belle & Calumet railroad from the Delaware Mine to Lac La Belle through a stock purchase. The name was changed to Keweenaw Central. The former route is changed to standard gauge. 100% of stock is owned by the Keweenaw Copper Company. [CRR]

1905. When questioned as to the probable location of the Calumet terminus of the KCRR, which is part of the Keweenaw Copper company's plans for immediate execution, Mr. Wright stated that the railroad would make connections at Calumet with both the Copper Range and Mineral Range railroads, with a view to handling traffic from both of these lines, and that it would doubtless make the depots and yards of one or the other of these two railroads its Calumet terminus, and it is impossible at the present time to state where the Calumet terminus of the KC will be. For the present year, the northern terminus will be at Lac la Belle. Within a very short time, however, it will be extended to Copper Harbor. [DF{=1905-0410]

1905. This line was purchased from Mohawk to Phoenix from the lac La Belle & Calumet company. [RLL]

1906. The railroad was completed to Mohawk. Trackage arrangements were made with the Mineral Range so that trains reached Calumet (at Calumet Junction) from Mohawk. A branch line to the Manden area was also completed. Trackage rights were obtained 1.6 miles from Calumet Junction to Laurium on the COPR. [CRR]

1906. John C. Shields, superintendent of the Mineral Range railroad the last 14 years and the oldest employee in length of service has resigned to become general superintendent of the new Keweenaw Central railroad. [DFP-1906-0710]

1906. The KC builds from Phoenix to Mandan. The following year, they build to Lac La Belle, and to Crestview. [MRL]

1906. December 7. Keweenaw county, the northernmost county in Michigan, today enjoyed its first railroad passenger service, the Keweenaw Central railroad inaugurating a thorough service between Mohawk, its southern terminus, and Mandan, the northern end of the line. [DFP-1906-1208]

1907. January 7. The Keweenaw Central begins running passenger trains between Mohawk and Calumet over former H&C trackage. [SOO-2022-Q1]

1908. April. Box car No. 204 was delivered to the Keweenaw Central railroad a few days ago after having been lost for more than a year. Immediately after being purchased in Chicago a year ago, the car was shipped to the Keweenaw Central with some other cars, but somewhere along the line it was "stolen by another line". The car was trailed from Chicago to the Pacific coast, thence to the Gulf of Mexico and on to the Atlantic, having traversed nearly every state in the union. [DFP-1908-0426]

1908. The line is extended south from Mohawk to Calumet Junction in Calumet. [MRL]

1909. The railroad establishes a resort called Crestview, 15 miles north of Calumet. It is served by a 2 mile long branch line from Crestview Junction to the resort. Six passenger coaches were purchased for the anticipated passenger traffic. [CRR]

1910. The KC railroad is working on a new schedule with arrangements made to run a special train between Calumet and Lac La Belle every Sunday from now on for the benefit of Calumet people who propose to work on their summer residences at Lac La Belle and Bete Gris. The train will leave Calumet every Sunday morning at 9 o'clock arriving at Lac La Belle at 10:40. Returning the train will not leave Lac La Belle until 6:05 in the evening, providing a full day at that pretty little resort. This is a through train. [CN-2010-0314]

1910. The KC railroad handled big crowds of excursionists yesterday who spent the day at Crestview or Lac La Belle. From 5 o'clock last evening until 10 o'clock, twenty-two coached were pulled into Calumet depot, each being well filled with passengers who boarded the trains at one or the other of the popular resorts. [CN-1910-0718]

1910. August. The management of the railroad announces a special excursion train on Saturday for berry pickers. The train will leave Calumet at 8 o'clock in the morning, its destination being Lac La Belle, and the returning train will leave Lac La Belle at 5:30 o'clock in the afternoon. Blueberries and huckleberries as well as thimble berries and blackberries are now ripe in the vicinity of Lac La Belle and are said to be very plentiful this year. [CN-1910-0811]

1911. May 18. Charles A. Wright, one of the big businessmen of the copper country, dropped dead last night while skating at a local roller rink. He was president of the KCRR and general manager of the Copper Range railroad, president of the First National bank and Superior Trust company of Hancock, and connected with a number of other business interests. He was 56 years old and survived by a widow and four children. [DFP-1911-0519]

1911. Yesterday was a big day on the KC railroad. Twelve trains were run out and into Calumet to and from the various summer resorts along the line. The Central home-coming also attracted a large number of people. The railroad used all of its coaches and was compelled to borrow a few from the Copper Range. It was one of the biggest days the KC has yet enjoyed in passenger traffic, nearly 3,000 people being carried. [CN-1911-0717]

1911. The KC is building a spur half a mile in length from its main into the Cliff mine, where Powell & Mitchell, who have the contract for repairing the breakwater at the (Portage) canal will quarry and ship 14,000 tons of rock via the KC and Copper Range road to Houghton, where the rock will be loaded on scows and taken to the canal for use. [CN-1911-0921]

1911. The Keweenaw Copper Company reports that the KCRR has lost $14,850 this year. [CN-1912-0214]

1912. Due to the expense of snow removal, the railroad made the decision to suspend winter operations. All traffic ceased on December 1, 1913 until May 1, 1914. [CRR]

1913. The federal government may investigate after an attempt to wreck a train running from Calumet to Mohawk over the KCRR by dynamiting the tracks immediately in front of the engine. No one was apparently hurt. [HPAL-1913-1020]

1914. October. The Douglass-Houghton memorial monument at Eagle River will be dedicated by members of the Keweenaw Historical society. A special KC train will leave Calumet at 1:30 o'clock giving the Lake Linden (interurban) car time to connect at Red Jacket. It will arrive at Crestview at 2:20 with 20 minutes to talk to Eagle River. The regular southbound Mandan train will be held at Crestview for returning participants. [CN-1914-1005]

1917-1918. Even with the World War, little mining occurs along the Keweenaw Central. Loss of population in the area discourages passenger traffic. [CRR]

1918. The KC is abandoned, except for the line from Calumet Junction and Crestview, which is sold to the Calumet & Hecla (mining) company. [MRL]

1919. The board options the south nine miles from Calumet Junction to a connection with the C&H. The road also allows the Copper Range Railroad use of this line to a point called Nichols, where a branch line connects to the Mohawk & Traverse Bay railroad and the Seneca Mining Company, located north of Mohawk.

1928. The nine miles out of Calumet Junction to the northeast is operated by the Copper Range railroad. The remaining seven miles were optioned to the C&H. [CRR]

1933. The company is still in existence, owning 17 miles of main line and 1.2 miles of sidings. Nine miles are leased to the COPR. Eight miles remain in place but unleased. The remainder of right-of-way was returning into wilderneess, the rails having been removed in 1918. [CRR]