Station: Cheboygan, MI

Cheboygan was settled in 1844 in Cheboygan County as Duncan. The name was changed to Cheboygan in 1870, incorporated as a village in 1871 and a city in 1889. It is the county seat. [MPN]

The first railroad to reach Cheboygan was the Michigan Central, on their line from Bay City to Mackinaw City in 1881. Later, the Detroit & Mackinac railway came up to Cheboygan in 1904 and established it's northern terminal here.

Photo Info: Top, a southbound passenger train, pulled by the 5357, at Cheboygan. This was the last steam powered passenger train at Cheboygan. 1955. [John Neiman photo, Mark Andersen collection]. 2nd, the original Michigan Central depot at Cheboygan. [Stoner collection, UMB]. 3rd photo, the MC Depot in Cheboygan in the early 1900's. [Dale Berry Collection] 4th and 5th photos, two views of the joint NYC/D&M passenger station, in 1967. [Charlie Whipp]. 6th and 7th photos, the D&M freight house in Cheboygan, made from an old box car. First, in 1987 [Dennis Schmidt] Second, in 2003. [Jim Fulkerth] 8th photo, the NYC freight house in Cheboygan in 1967. [Charlie Whipp] 9th photo, the D&M diesel engine house in 1967. Bottom, another photo of the D&M engine house. [Both, Charles Geletske Jr.] The track going off to the right in the bottom photo leads to the Cheboygan waterfront. In the early days, passengers departed from the docks for Mackinac Island.

Notes

The town provided both passenger and freight traffic to both railroads. Though the MC brought passengers past Cheboygan all the way to Mackinaw City, the D&M encouraged passengers to disembark here and take a ferry to Mackinac Island. Both railroads had dock tracks in Cheboygan at one time.

Cheboygan also had industry related to forest products and farming. The railroads provided service to saw mills on Lake Huron on the north side of town, as well as a paper plant along the Cheboygan River downtown. At least one tannery was also served.

At least two MC spur tracks crossed the D&M main line in town and had interlockers in place to prevent collisions.

Time Line

1881. October 27. The dredging for the railroad wharf was completed yesterday, and the tugs Carkin and Hayden with dredges and scows in tow, departed this morning for Port Huron. [DFP-1881-1027]

1882. May. The MC has completed the dock extension. The dock has been covered with gravel and railroad cars are now run to the warehouse, where freight is to be transferred to and from the Sault St. Marie steamers. [DFP-1882-0531]

1890. The MC has a warehouse along the Cheboygan river and accessed by their dock track. In 1890, it was noted as vacant. [SBM-1890]

1890. The lumber at the docks of the Cheboygan Lumber Co. docks were on fire, supposed to have been set by sparks from theMinnie M. going out on her regular trip to the Soo. 12 million feet of lumber were burned. [PHTH-1890-1125]

1904. Cheboygan, June 27. Two thousand citizens Sunday night aided employees of the D&M railroad to drive away a Michigan Central blockading force from crossing of the two railroads here. Blockades had been maintained by the MC for 24 hours. During the melee 12 MC employees were placed under arrest. A blockade on a MC spur track outside the city limits was raised by the MC Saturday night after an injunction had been secured to prohibit interference with the D&M right of way. The second blockage, which was inside the city limits, was broken Sunday night by the aid of citizens. The men under arrest are charged with violating the injunction. [SJH-1904-0702]

1904. Peace reigned over the disputed railroad property today, and the D&M is hard at work completing its tracks. The MC employees arrested yesterday morning were released under bonds to appear in court when ordered. The MC officials refuse to talk of their plans, but hint that the end is not yet. The D&M secured permission from the state crossing board over two months ago to make the crossings now in dispute. The MC has made no move toward moving its wrecked cars from the D&M right-of-way. [DFP-1904-0628]

1915. According to Sanborn maps, the D&M and MC had several non-interlocked crossings along the river near N. Huron and Lake Streets. These were on the dock branches of both roads.  In 1915, both the MC and D&M had parallel spurs to the Cheboygan Paper Co. downtown. [SBM-1915]

1927. The D&M had a daytime operator at the Cheboygan depot. There was one passenger train in each direction, daily except Sunday. [ETT-1927]

Coordinates

MC Depot - 46.642286, -84.484558

D&M Freight House - 45.640037, -84.484944

Toilet paper plant - 45.637953, -84.481126

Industry

• Cheboygan Lumber Co. - east side of river. No rail access. [SBM-1890/1900]
• Cheboygan Paper Co. - 1890
• Cheboygan Tannery - on River rail service from MC - 1900
• Embury-Martin mill - (xxxx ← 1906 → xxxx) - Overhauled in 1906. [AML-1/13/1906]. Exists in 1915.
• Embury & Wetmore - saw mill - west side of river. - 1890
• E. P. Hayes' shingle mill (closed 1890) on Duncan Bay - 1900
• Kimberly-Clark Plant - (xxxx → 1970 → xxxx) - diapers. Shipped via D&M.
• McArthurs Lumber dock - west side of river - 1890
• M. McCarty saw mill - east side of river - 1900
• M.D. Olds Stave Manufacturing - S. Bailey St. N/of Division - on MCRR -1900/1915
• Packard Brothers - mill site burned in 1889 - expect to rebuild - 1890
• Pelton and Reid - contract saw mill - Lake Huron - 1890/1900
• Phister and Vogel Leather Co. - On River Road - 1900/1915
• Robert Robinson - contract saw mill - east side of river - 1890
• Smith & Galbraith - saw mill - east side of river - 1890
• Swift Brothers - contract saw mill - - 1 1/2 miles north of downtown - 1890/1900
• Thompson Smith Sons - saw mill - in Duncan - 1890/1900
• W. and A. McArthur - saw mill - near Seymour street - on MCRR - 1890/1900