Station: Alabaster, MI

Alabaster was settled along Lake Huron in Iosco County about 1841 when gypsum rock was discovered here. The area was mined for many years until the 1990's. Most rock was transported by ship.

Photo Info: Top, an early view of the US Gypsum plant in operation at Alabaster. 2nd photo, a close up view of the plant switcher on the trestle. 3rd photo, a new warehouse at Alabaster in a 1920 postcard. 4th image, the local plant switcher at the Alabaster gypsum mine in July, 1977. [Larry Gibson]. Photos five-eight, taken in 2006, these tracks have been abandoned but are still in place. [Larry Gibson]

Notes

Time Line 

1904. President J. D. Hawks of the D&M railroad yesterday stated that his road had closed a contract with the Erie & Michigan Railway & Navigation Co. whereby the road will handle at least 50,000 tons a year of plaster and alabaster rock from the Alabaster, Mich. works. It is expected that the works at Alabaster will not only run the year around, but part of the time will run double shifts. This Alabaster plant is in the gypsum trust, which controls thirty plants and quarries in the United States. Waldo Avery, of Detroit, is heavily interested in the Alabaster Co. [DFP-1904-1104]

1910. October 27. The mammoth plant mills, dock and warehouses of the United States Gypsum Co. at Alabaster, Mich. burned to the ground at a loss of over $125,000. Additional details. [Belding Banner, 1910-1027]