Railroad: Manistique, Marquette and Northern Railroad Company

This upper peninsula railroad company was affiliated with the Grand Rapids & Indiana and was likely part of their effort to cross northern Lake Michigan with a railroad car ferry from Northport to Manistique. Total miles in 1903 of 47.5 miles. Standard gauge.

Manistique & Northwestern → Manistique, Marquette & Northern Railroad → Manistique & Northern

Chartered: 1902

Bought: 1902 - Manistique & Northwestern - Manistique to Shingleton.

Operated: 6 Years

Conveyed: 1908 - to Manistique & Northern by Union Trust Company (foreclosed in 1905).

Reference: [MRRC]

Notes

Time Line

1897. August. Original road opened from South Manistique to Steuben. In December, a branch line was built from Steuben to McNeils.

1898. December 31. The original road was extended from Scotts to Shingleton.

1902. MM&N created and purchased old Manistique & Northwestern.

1902. This railroad is engaged principally in the logging business but one train is run each way, daily, for the accommodation of passenger traffic. The company recently launched a car ferry that will be run between Manistique and Northport, connecting with the Traverse City, Leelanau & Manistique railroad. [MCR-1902]

1902. Operated from Shingleton to Manistique, largely transporting forest products. Mixed train is provided daily. This company runs a car ferry line between Manistique and Northport which connects with the TCL&M railroad. The car ferry went into commission on October 1, 1903. [MCR-1903]

1903. SNAPSHOT: The road had 14 stations on the line. They employed 5 engineers, conductors and firemen, 1 baggageman, 52 laborers (including section hands), and seven shopmen. They operated five locomotives, 1 12-wheel passenger car, 3 box cars, 61 platform cars, 198 ore cars and 3 way cars. ;88% of their freight was logs (by ton), and 11% ore. The company owned 48 miles of their own telephone line.

1905. September. The MM&N elects S. T. Crapo as President and General Manager. Offices are at Detroit. [RG-1905-0915:p84]