Station: Greenville, MI

Greenville was settled in Montcalm County about 1844. It became a village in 1867 and a city in 1871. [MPN] Greenville was an important junction point on two railroads and served as a junction for a third line.

Notes

The north-south Pere Marquette branch line from Elmdale to Saginaw (via Stanton, Edmore and Alma) crossed the west-east Grand Trunk Western branch line between Ashley and Muskegon here. Another PM branch line from Greenville to Howard City began here.

Photo Info: Top, the Pere Marquette station at Greenville with a passenger train along side. Local dray carriers are picking up passengers and freight. [Alan Loftis collection]. 2nd photo, a 1970's photo of the Grand Trunk Western depot at Greenville. [Charlie Whipp]. 3rd and 4th photos, 1973 photographs of the depot and interlocking tower in Greenville. This is an example of one of the most simple interlocking towers in Michigan. There is one pipe protruding out of the base of the tower to control the switch for the PM or GTW. The tower probably also controlled the two-aspect signal on the other side of the depot which is set for a diverging route. Most simple interlockings in Michigan were actually ground interlockings (with levers at ground level). [Greg Bunce]. 5th photo, the C&O Greenville switcher (C&O 5761, a GP-7) and caboose in March, 1979. [Greg Bunce]. 6th photo, C&O 5797 with a train near Greenville engine house in October, 1978. [Charles Geletzke Jr.]

Time Line

1872. August: The Detroit, Lansing & Lake Michigan had trouble a "sink holes" west of Greenville. One was an outlet at Drigg's Lake was three miles northwest of Greenville. The usual remedy was to put timbers and whole trees into the hole to support the grade for the track. The 2nd sinkhole was 30' deep and about 15' of that was under water. It continued to sink for 2 months before it was stabilized. [I&L]

1875. The railroad has an engine house and turntable north of town. [I&L]

1878: The DL&N built a new water-station and windmill at Greenville. [DL&N-1878]

1882: The DL&N finished a new station here. [DL&N-1882]

1888. The interlocking tower at Greenville is installed by the TS&M.

1889. The scales at Greenville were taken up, repaired and restored. [DL&N-1889]

1890. The DL&N freight house was repaired; a new foundation was put under the water tank, and a pump house was built with a new pump put in. [DL&N-1890]

1891. The DL&N builds a new potato house here in 1891. [DL&N-1891]

1891. The DL&N company lost $300 and a traveling agent $200 by a fire in the Greenville freight house Sunday. [WEX0=-1891-0327]

1909. February. The PM depot at Greenville burns down. Passengers will temporarily use the Donaldson house, west of the former station. Residents hope a union station will be built at in North Greenville. [I&L]

1909: The PM built a new station here in 1909. [PMAR-1909]

1917. The GTW had an agent here as well as a day operator. [TRT]

1970's. At Breckenridge, the C&O dispatcher had an "annunciator" microphone up on a pole where we could get audio over the dispatchers line of a passing train. [DH]

1983. The Greenville tower was removed when the GTW line was abandoned.

Industry

• Fuller & Gowens shingle yard, across from the depot (in 1872). They ship as carload of slab wood to Detroit, which is refuse from the mill, as well as shingles. [I&L]