Station: Michigamme, MI

Michigamme was settled about 1872 with the founding of the Michigamme Mine. The town's first building was a log cabin on the Lake here. The village was platted and incorporated as a village in 1873. [MPN]

Michigamme was served by two railroads, the Duluth South Shore & Atlantic, and the Chicago and Northwestern.

The DSS&A was the busiest line through here on their way from Ishpeming to Houghton and Duluth. The C&NW ended their branch line at Michigamme but had trackage rights on the DSS&A west to several mines in the area.

Photo Info: A westbound C&NW passenger train approaches Michigamme in the early 1900's. It has just crossed the DSS&A at Michigamme Interlocking tower. Detroit Publishing Co. postcard. [LOC collection]

Notes

Each railroad had a separate depot here, which were across from each other at Brooks Street. The C&NW was a bay window style depot. [CNWV]

Both lines had turntables and roundhouses here. Both engine houses held two locomotives each. The DSS&A roundhouse was on the north side of the railroad approximately where Barnum Avenue intersects. The C&NW's roundhouse was on the south side of their railroad line at Brooks Street. It was removed in 1917 and the lead to the turntable taken up in 1928.  The DSS&A had a coal bunker near its roundhouse.

There was a cattle pen between both main lines with a chute used for disembarking.

Both lines served a large lumbering operation on the west edge of Lake Michigamme. The DSS&A had several grade crossings of the C&NW to reach this mill. These were likely not interlocked and operated within yard limits. 

Time Line

1873. A sweeping forest fire at Michigamme was bad and the "worst has not been told". The mill was not destroyed and along with six houses is all that remains. [DFP-1873-0625] The Marquette Mining Journal describes Michigamme as a town built in a forest. Streets were not graded, nor were they more than trails used to get from one house to another, while the whole surface of the location was covered with stumps interspersed with trees and every kind of forest combustible matter. The sawmill - though to a great extent separated from the forest and village - was surrounded with shavings, shingles, lath and lumber, and looked like a strong invitation to fire. Hence the disaster on Thursday. [DFP-1874-0625]

1899. The westbound Duluth Express and the eastbound Boston Express passed each other on the South Shore line at 1:40 a.m. at Michigamme, if they were both on time.  The DSS&A also had a local train from Marquette to Bessemer and back during this era. [OFG-1899]

1917. The C&NW engine house and coal shed were removed. [CNWV]

1918. The C&NW and DSS&A had agent operators here on the day shift. [TRT]

1928. The C&NW turn table was removed. [CNWV]

1938. The DSS&A requests permission from the MPUC to close its depots at Brimley, Michigamme, McMillan and Shingleton, explaining that they are no longer necessary to meet public convenience. [EDP-1938-0305]