Station: Faithorn, MI

Faithorn, in northwest Menominee County, was settled and occupied by four lumber firms: The Fence River Company; the Kirby, Carpenter Company; the Ludington Wells & Van Shaick; and the Hamilton & Merriman. The town was named after an official of the Wisconsin & Michigan railroad company which had a station here. [MPN]

Faithorn was a crossing of the north-south W&M and the east-west Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie railroad (Soo Line) and was about two miles east of the Wisconsin state line, and eight miles west of Hermansville. According to lidar mapping, the W&M went over the top of the MStP&SSM and there was a single wye interchange track in the southeast quadrant. [CAL]

Notes

Faithorn may have been named after J.N. Faithorn, the General Manager of the Wisconsin & Michigan railroad.

Time Line

1902. The W&M crosses over the MStP&SSM with an overhead bridge that isw first-class in its construction. [MCR-1903]

1903. The W. & M. will not commence the erection of a depot at Norway or any other, for some time, reports to the contrary notwithstanding. The one contemplated for this place will not be commenced until after the track is laid, so that the necessary material can be hauled. At Faithorn, the W. & M. will have to build an overhead crossing where it crosses the Soo line and it is feared that at this point there will be consider able delay. [CUR-1903-0606]

1905. Nadeau Brothers sawmill and a large amount of lumber burned near Faithorn yesterday. Loss $40,000. [DFP-1905-0924]

1908. The railroad bridge of the Soo line across the Menominee river near Faithorn was on fire several times last night but was saved by efforts of the section crews. Forest fires continue to ravage the area. [DFP-1908-0922]

1914. Sheriff T.J. Curran of Delta County believes he has come near to solving two big mysteries of Delta county by securing almost a complete confession from a man in jail in Menominee who was alleged to have robbed the station at Faithorn Junction. The man also robbed the Soo Line station near Escanaba. The confession was obtained with the aid of a "stool pigeon". [EMP-1914-0909]

1917. The MStP&SSM had an agent operator here on the day shift. [TRT]

1936. April 18. Five cars of the Soo Line local train enroute here (Faithorn) from Escanaba this afternoon were derailed 1.5 miles east of town. Harry White, brakeman on the train was believed critically injured and was taken to a hospital at Norway by Clifford Hayes of Faithorn. One of the passengers was also injured and taken to the same hospital. Other persons in the coach escaped injury when the coach and four box cars left the rails and overturned. The wreck tore up the track for several hundred yards. It was believed that the fault was in one of the cars, rather than a faulty track, caused the accident. A wrecker was summoned to the scene. [EDP-1936-0418]

1936. Wisconsin and Michigan are joining hands along the state line to keep down forest fires. A telephone line is being run from the Wisconsin fire tower near Pembine to the Michigan tower at Faithorn, a distance of 11 miles. [MCH-1936-1030]

Industry (Logging)

• Fence River Company
• Kirby, Carpenter Company
• Ludington Wells & Van Shaick
• Hamilton & Merriman