Station: Kawkawlin, MI

Kawkawlin is a hamlet in Bay County which was settled in 1885 around a water powered mill on the Kawkawlin River. The Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw (later MCRR) railroad came through here in 1871, crossing the Kawkawlin River on a small drawbridge [per MC timetable in 1883]. This drawbridge was replaced with a regular bridge by 1900.

When the Penn Central line to Bay City was sold to the GTW around 1980, the D&M (and the state) bought the line north of Kawkawlin towards Mackinaw City. A sign posted at Kawkawlin identified the line of demarcation as "D&M Jct". The D&M connected with the line at Linwood, using a former industrial branch off their lake shore main line. Later, when the D&M (and later Lake State Railway) obtained trackage rights over the former MC and they abandoned their own lake shore main line between North Bay City Yard and Pinconning.  A new connection was established off the old MC line to the DM/LSRC line just south of Pinconning which is still used today.

Notes

Time Line

1917. The MC has an agent/operator at Kawkawlin on the day shift. [TRT]

2020. Lake State Railway begins serving Greene's Gas Company, with two side tracks at Kawkawlin. [LSRC]

Time Line

Industry

• 1869. O. A. Ballou & Co. - purchased the Kaiser, Witthauer & Co. mills on the Kawkawlin River about six miles west of the Lake. Their mill has two gangs of saws, one upright and one a large circle saw, besides lath machinery, etc. They use the Kawkawlin river. [DFP-1869-1211]