Time Line - 1859

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• July 28: The Dayton and Michigan Railroad is completed from Dayton, Ohio to Toledo. (Later this becomes the Baltimore and Ohio). They create a junction with the Cleveland and Toledo Railroad at the east end of the latter's Maumee River bridge, known as East Toledo Station. They also gain running rights over the bridge to access the Middle Grounds terminal. The D&M's yards were built at Rossford, Ohio, across the river from the Wabash shops. [AATHS-Spr/2002]

• August 19: The Flint & Pere Marquette lays its first rail on Potter street, near Washington street in East Saginaw. Shortly thereafter, tracks were extened to Mt. Morris and then Flint. The Saginaw shops were first created, shortly thereafter and included a small machine shop. [COHS-7/1997]

• September 1-15: Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana train crews go out on strike over payment of 5 months of back wages. The strike ended when President George Bliss promised to pay the men cash for May, June and July, and additional pay for August and September by October 10. [LS]

• November 21: Chicago, Detroit & Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railway finishes Detroit Junction to Fort Gratiot (Port Huron) line. The road initially uses the Michigan Central's Third Street Station, via a connection at Grand Trunk Junction (West Detroit). [MDOT/AAD/MCR-75/MRC-6/1973]]

• Amboy, Lansing & Traverse Bay finishes line from Laingsburgh to Bath. [MCR-75]

• Thomas Edison, 12 years of age, serves as newsboy on the Detroit to Port Huron route. [DWS]

• Chicago, Detroit & Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railway (GTW) builds depots at Fraser, Mt. Clemens, New haven and Richmond. It is noted that these depots are still in place as of 1974. [IT-12/1974]

• The Chicago, Detroit & Canada Grand Trunk Junction Ry. builds a new brick station at Smith's Creek. It is moved later to Greenfield Village. [DRK]

• George Pullman's sleeping car makes initial run in the U.S. [STOV] 

Time line Key:

• Railroad event in Michigan
• Event relating to mining
• Event related to car ferries
• Event outside of Michigan
• Improvement in Technology
• Railroad built or extended
• Railroad abandoned and/or removed
• Economic panic or depression