Station: Tawas City, MI

Tawas City is the county seat of Iosco County and is located on Tawas Bay, Lake Huron.

The D&M railroad depot and headquarters were located here, on the border with East Tawas. The depot site is now a Walmart store.

The railroad had its shops here, including car shops, a former DBC&A roundhouse and later an International Harvester dealership. All are now gone to make way for the Walmart store.

Photo Info: Top, the track side of the DM depot and offices at East Tawas-Tawas City. [Mike Fogelsinger collection]. 2nd image, the read of the building handling LCL freight in the 1950's.

Notes

Time Line

1894. The mills at Tawas and East Tawas will depend chiefly on Canada for logs. The few mills at Oscoda and Au Sable have supply from the waters of Au Sable river and tributary region for about three years yet. Alpena will obtain logs from Canada and Thunder Bay river waters and the opening up of the region north by the Alpena & Northern railroad. [DFP-1894-0331]

1899. Conductor O'Neil, of the D&M railroad, ordered his brakeman to get off the Foresters' excursion train at Tawas last night on the way to Bay City, but the man would not obey and shortly after leaving that place had words with the conductor and assaulted him by striking him on the head with his lantern. The brakeman then pulled the bell cord, stopped the train and jumped off. [DFP-1899-0822]

1927. This station was staffed with an operator during the day shift. [ETT-1927]

1930. April 3. The Michigan Public Utilities Commission approves the consolidation of individual depots at East Tawas and Tawas City into one station to be located between the two towns to be known as "East Tawas-Tawas City". The request came from the railroad and both cities agreed to the change. [MPUC-1930]