Station: Big Rapids, MI

Big Rapids was settled about 1853 and became the county seat of Mecosta County in 1859. It was originally called Leonard but it was changed to Big Rapids within the year. The town was incorporated as a city in 1969.

Big Rapids was located on the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad (from Grand Rapids north to Petoskey). Two other railroads came to Big Rapids. The Detroit, Lansing & Northern (from Mecosta) came in from the east, and the Chicago & West Michigan (from White Cloud) came in from the west. At first, these two other railroads did not cross the river, as confirmed by an 1884 Sanborn Insurance map.

But at some point, a bridge was built and the railroads were joined. In 1900, but became part of the Pere Marquette railroad system. This connection was confirmed in a 1914 Sanborn map.

Image Info: Top, an early view of the depot at Big Rapids. [CMUL],. 2nd photo, the Michigan Northern ran a snow train through Big Rapids in 1979. [Greg Bunce], 3rd, the GR&I depot at Big Rapids in a c.1920 postcard view. 4th photo, the same depot in the early 1900's. [Both, Alan Loftis collection]. 5th photo, a 2003 view of the same depot. [Dale Berry]. 6th, a Michigan Northern passenger special is photographed at Big Rapids in the 1970's.l [Neil Plagens photo, Mark Andersen Collection]. 7th image, a map of downtown Big Rapids showing the GR&I and former PM route through town. {USGS/Dale Berry]. 8th, a Sanborn Insurance Map view of the first C&WM depot and roundhouse on the southeast corner of N. State and Hemlock streets in 1884. [SBM-1884]

Notes

Comments from RRHX Bulletin Board ("Bill") 1/9/2004:  The railroad that crossed the Pennsylvania had two connection tracks, one in the northwest quadrant and one in the northeast quadrant.  When that line was abandoned, they left the two connection tracks and a short section of the main line intact.  This formed three legs of a wye, which was left in place until the successor Michigan Northern ceased operations.

Comments from RRHX Bulletin Board ("RSF") 1/9/2004:  The Pennsylvania was crossed by the Pere Marquette line from Greenville-Edmore-White Cloud and Muskegon.  The crossing shows as being protected by a gate only (normally in the clear position for the PRR) in PRR Grand Rapids Division employee time table #2, 9-27-1942.    Traffic generated in 1973 at Big Rapids was 109 carloads (from information in the Conrail system evaluation of 1975).  Note:  Gene Zank added that the PM line from Big Rapids to Remus was abandoned in the summer of 1943.

Comments from RRHX Bulletin Board ("Tom Hynes") 1/10/2004:  The only traffic on the former Pere Marquette trackage in Big Rapids during the Michigan Northern era was Central (?) Concrete, which unloaded box cars of brick at a concrete loading dock built on the northeast leg of the wye.  The only remaining PM trackage at that time was the wye itself, which was the only turning facility south of Cadillac.  Sometimes boxcars of brick had to be wyed as well as boxcars of paper products for Michigan Cigar, which unloaded near the lumber mill on a spur at the south end of town.  At some point, Michigan Northern removed the diamond and it sat alongside the main for about a year but was later reinstalled, and remained in place until the track was turn up.  The track was originally the Detroit, Lansing and Northern, later Pere Marquette.  As far as I know, it was never interlocked, but always a gate.  Two steel posts, about 10 feet high with ornate cast iron tops, were there until the track was turn up, but the gates were gone by 1976.

Comments from RRHX Bulletin Board ("Graydon Meints") 1/10/2004:  The PM abandoned the White Cloud-Big Rapids segment in 1926 and the Remus-Big Rapids segment in 1943.  There were some industrial tracks, a wye track, and a part of the old main line east of the river that were conveyed to the Pennsylvania Railroad.  These lasted, I believe, until at least the 1980's.

The GR&I had a water tower here.

In 1884, the Chicago & West Michigan's depot and roundhouse was at the NE corner of East Pine and North State. This building became a freight house when a new depot was built at East Pine between N. State and N. Michigan. SBM-1884]

Time Line

1870. The GR&I will erect two depots at Big Rapids, one at upper and the other at lower town. There has been considerable strife growing out of the selection of a depot site, and to satisfy all parties, Superintendent Shaw has ordered the construction of two depots. [SJH-1870-0723] The GR&I depots were located at East Fourth and Baldwin Street, and East Maple East of 4th Street. [SBM-1914]

1882. The DL&N built a new water tank at Big Rapids. [DL&N-1882]

1890. The DL&N moves their depot across the river, enlarges it and paints it, and uses it jointly with the Chicago & West Michigan Ry. [DL&N-1890]

1908. April. Fire broke out in the cupola of the Mercy hospital here and destroyed the entire structure. The hospital, which was in the north end of town, was considered to be one of the finest structures of its kind in the state. Nurses discovered the flames and notified the other occupants of the place. A fire alarm was turned in but the volunteer department was unable to cope with the flames. The water main broke when the pipes were connected making it impossible for firemen to force a stream to the cupola of the building. There were 25 patients in the hospital, none of whom were injured. The nurses' and sisters' quarters were located in the same building and destroyed. The valuable papers were in the hands of Mother Gertrude and taken to Grand Rapids. The hospital had been built in 1880. [PTH-1908-0422]

Industry

• Big Rapids City Roller Mill - on river - 1884
• Big Rapids Door & Blind Manufacturing Company - 1884
• Big Rapids Furniture Co. - on river - 1884
• Big Rapids Iron Works - N. Michigan W/Hemlock. 1884
• Big Rapids Iron Works - E. Bellevue and N. Michigan streets - on the C&WM - 1884
• Big Rapids Novelity Works - On the GR&I - 1884
• Big Rapids Wagon Works - On the DL&N - 1884
• Big Rapids Wooden Ware Co. - On the DL&N - 1884
• Bronson & Sickney Saw Mill - 1884
• Eagle Planing Mills - 1884
• Falcon Planing Mill - on river - 1884
• Hewitt & McElwee Planing Mill - On the GR&I - 1884
• McClellan's Tannery - on river - 1884
• McElwee Saw Mill - on river - 1884
• Peerless Oil Refinery. 1931-1933. Served by the PM.
• Remus Sash & Blind Factory - 1884
• S.N. Gray & Co. shingle mill - on river - 1884
• Tioga Manufacturing Co. saw mill - 1884
• Trowbridge Brothers Clap Board Mill - 1884
• Wooden Ware Works - on river - 1884