Railroad: Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana Rail Road Company, The

This railroad was created in 1855, as a merger of the Michigan Southern railroad and the Northern Indiana railroad. The line was operated until 1869 when it became the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad.

Michigan Southern → Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana railroad → Lake Shore & Michigan Southern

Consolidated: 1855 - Michigan Southern merged with the Northern Indiana, Toledo to Chicago via Adrian.

Operated for 14 years.

Leased: 1856 - Detroit, Monroe & Toledo.

Merged into: 1869 to the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad

Reference: [MRRC]

Notes

Time Line

1850. February. The subscription of $250,000 applied for by the Michigan Southern Railroad Company for the extension from Hillsdale to Coldwater has been taken, a large portion of it by the citizens of Jonesville and Coldwater and other places along the line. A contract has been made with the Messrs. Harback, Witt & Co. (the contractors of the Cleveland and Columbia Road) for the construction of the division between Hillsdale and Coldwater, the work has been commenced and is now in progress. The division is 22 miles in length and is to be completed by the first day of August next. The cost of it when finished according to the contract price, and laid with a heavy iron rail, will not exceed $12,000 per mile. [ARJ-1850-02/16]

1850. August. This road is to be completed to Coldwater in September or October next. Beyond this point the road is under contract to Sturges (sic), a distance of about 25 miles, to be completed, we believe, this fall. From Sturgis, the distance to the Indiana State-line is about 25 miles. After reaching Indiana, the company proposes to proceed under the charter of the Northern Indiana railroad company. This charter extends to Michigan city. Beyond this, we see it stated that the above company are acting under the western division of the Buffalo and Mississippi charter, is already at work and has twenty miles under contract, to be done by 1st December next. [ARJ-1850-08/17]

1850. November. On the Michigan line they have determined to substitute next year the heavy T rail for the flat bar upon the 68 miles of the railroad now in operation [from Monroe] to Hillsdale and have advertised for 100,000 sleepers for the work. From Hillsdale to Coldwater, 22 miles, the rails are being laid and the road will be opened in three weeks. The next 24 miles to Sturges (sic) the grading is nearly completed. The rails have arrived in Michigan and will be laid down and this division will be opened early in January next, making forty six miles of new road this present year. This brings it within 18 miles of the Indiana line. [ARJ-1850-11/09]

1850. November. The South Bend Register communicates the following interesting intelligence as to the progress of this road: A general meeting of the board of directors of the Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana railroad companies, assembled at the town of Elkhart, have settled the question that Bristol, Elkhart, Mishawaka, South Bend and Laporte should be points on the main line of the road and a resolution was adopted "that the road from Toledo to Laporte should be completed, and the cars running on the whole line by the first day of January, 1852."

We also learn that arrangements are being made to complete the road through to Chicago in the same time. Proposals are advertised for ties for the road from the Michigan State line to Laporte, and grading and bridging toi be let as soon as the next first of February, and a portion probably sooner. [ARJ-1850-1123]

1855. Consolidation of the Michigan Southern and the Northern Indiana, from Toledo to Chicago via Adrian.

1856. They lease the Detroit, Monroe & Toledo between those namesake cities.

1869. Lines merged into the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad