Location: Wells, MI

Wells was a location on the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw railroad in Arenac County. When the railroad built north from Bay City and Standish, it stopped at Wells temporarily in 1871.

Wells is not a town today, but was likely where the railroad crossed Wells Creek, just south of Alger. It is likely that Alger was renamed from Wells, after Russell Alger brought his Detroit, Bay City & Alpena to Alger for a connection with the Michigan Central. There is a reference to Wells being the planned DBC&A connection with the MC in the Lake County Star newspaper on 11/15/1883.

Notes

Time Line

1872. May 21. One employee was killed and three others badly injured, when their logging train struck a "drove" of cattle, throwing the train off the track. This occurred on the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw Railroad extension, probably between Standish and West Branch. [MCR/72]

1879. August. A saw-mill, shingle-mill, shingle-shed and store building together with goods and 100,000 feet of lumber burned at Wells Station, on the MC Mackinaw branch, owned by Thomas Nester of East Saginaw. [True Northerner News, Paw Paw]