Station: Panola, MI

Panola was the location of a spur line off the C&NW branch to Crystal Falls. The town was about five miles south of Crystal Falls and settled about 1884.

Notes

Time Line

1907. The passenger train from Stager to Crystal Falls last Saturday night was stalled at a rock cut below Panola and Conductor Rodgers was compelled to walk to Crystal Falls in a raging blizzard and secure a freight engine to go down and pull the passenger train out of its dilemma. Rogers walk was one that he will remember the remainder of his life for he nearly froze while wading through the big drifts and facing the "42-miles-an-hour" northwester during the whole of those six miles. [DD-1907-0209]

1910. October 27. The engineer was instantly killed in a head-on collision Monday morning one mile west of Panola. The deceased had jumped clear of his engine but had not got far enough away from the wreck to escape being caught by the cars as they piled up in a heap over the tender of his engine. He was pinned to the ground and his life crushed out instantly.

Two empty ore trains had left Antoine early in the morning for Crystal Falls. The orders were issued at Antoine and were to the effect that the first train should remain at Crystal Falls until the second train had arrived. Both trains would fetch back loads on their return trip to Antoine. The first train returned before the second train arrived and the collision occurred on a curve near Railroad Lake and Panola. Both engines were horribly smashed as were a half dozen cars. An investigation concluded that the orders were not written clearly. A wrecking crew was summoned from Escanaba. [DD-1910-1029]