Location: Iron Mountain, MI - MILW Facilities

The Milwaukee & Northern, the for-runner to the Milwaukee Road, came through Iron Mountain enroute to Channing and Champion in 1887. The railroad had a depot, freight houses and yard facilities here. The railroad served the Chapin Mine, among others.

Notes

The MILW in Iron Mountain had a brick depot between "B" and "C" Streets west of US-2. It still exists today and is owned by the Escanaba & Lake Superior railroad. South of the depot, the MILW had a seven track yard, used for staging ore and other freight cars. At the south end of this yard, the Wisconsin & Michigan railroad interchanged with the MILW and had a wye here. [CNWV]

The MILW was high affected by the caving of the Chapin and Ludington mines in Iron Mountain. It appears that the route was adjusted more than once and then the railroad joined forces with the C&NW to have only one line through the mine works parallel to US-2 highway. 

Time Line

1895. September. Health Officer Crowell has condemned the well at the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul depot and pronounced the water poisonous. Several cases of typhoid fever are attributed to use of water from this well, and, as it has been quite generally used by employees of the company and the people of the neighborhood, we may expect to hear of others. Repeated analyses by experts have established the fact the water sup plied by the Water company is absolutely pure, and there can be no excuse for the continued use of well water, which is certain to contain the germs of some disease. The moral is obvious. [RTR-1895-0928]