Time Line - 1886

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• March 26: First passenger trains crosses the newly built Portage Canal bridge between Houghton and Hancock. [CRWS]

• April 6: City of Detroit suffers from a 24" snowfall, stopping streetcar and train traffic. [DWS]

• May. This was a period of significant labor unrest in Detroit, Chicago and around the country. The Michigan Car Company works was struck and the actions were extended to other industrial works near Grand Trunk Junction, and the MC roundhouse and shops. [DFP]

• May 17: Black River Railroad is sold to the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad. [MRRC]

• June: Toledo, Ann Arbor and Mt. Pleasant completes line from Alma to Mt. Pleasant. [MRRC]

• July 1: Saginaw, Tuscola and Huron Railroad opens 3' line from Sebewaing to Bad Axe. Converted to standard gauge in 1891 after purchase by Pere Marquette. [MRRC]

• Summer: Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northern Michigan RR reaches Howell. New (current) depot built. [MHS]

• Mid: Saginaw, Tuscola & Huron RR built from Bay Port to Bad Axe - Mid/1886 - [PMHS]

• Mid: Construction begins on the Chicago, Kalamazoo and Saginaw Railway (CK&S) from Kalamazoo to Hastings. Reaches 19 miles northeast towards Hastings by September 20th. [NYC-2/1989]

• August: Detroit, Lansing & Northern opens line from St. Louis to Howard City. [MRRC]

• September 1: Detroit's first electric railway line started on Dix Avenue (Vernor Highway). Also a Van Depoele system. [EMR4]

• September 3: Grass Lake and Manistee River Railroad opens 8 mile long line from sec 33 T25N R5W and sec 17 T25N R4W to Manistee River in sec 35 T26N R6W. [MRRC]

• September 18: Highland Park electric streetcar begins operating on Woodward Avenue from Baltimore to Manchester. [DWS]

• September 20: Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad completes line from Black River  to 3 miles south of Alpena. The entire DBC&A is converted to standard gauge. [MRRC/GW]

• October 11: The first DBC&A passenger train reaches Alpena. [GW]

• October 20: Manistique Railway opens line from Seney to Hoist. [MRRC]

• December 1: Grand Rapids & Indiana opens line from Muskegon Jct. (near Grand Rapids) to Muskegon. [MRRC]

• The Detroit, Bay City and Alpena was extended north from AuSable to Alpena. All tracks were widened to standard gauge.   [HI]

• Detroit, Bay City and Alpena constructs several branch lines between 1986 and 1890, including the Rose City Division.

• The Manistique Railway builds a line from Seney to Grand Marais. [MSL]

• The Cincinnati, Jackson and Mackinaw Railroad is extended from the Indiana state line through Lenawee County to Jackson. [Adrian Daily Telegram, 6/26/1975]

• From 1886 to 1888, the Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon Railway (later GTW) builds from 20 miles west of Owosso to Muskegon, a distance of 96 miles. The route used trackage rights to Owosso by way of running over the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railway (later AA). [IT-10/1972]

• The Soo Line is completed from Iron Mountain to Hermansville. [SOO-10/1991]

• Michigan Central RR depot at Ann Arbor constructed. This granite block building was designed by Frederick Spier, which was influenced by the great American architect Henry Hobson Richardson. [MDOT/MHM]

• The Acme White Lead and Color Works builds a plant on St. Aubin at the crossing of the MCRR Bay City line, in Hamtramck Township. It becomes one of the world’s largest paint manufacturing facilities. It was acquired by Sherwin-Williams in 1920 and is closed in 1977. [CRP1]

• Michigan Central RR depot at Kalamazoo is built. Continues to exist as of 2001. [IT-12/1974]

• Detroit's population is 116,340. [D18]

• Ann Arbor Railroad builds a depot at Howell. Continues to exist as of 2001. [IT-12/1974]

• U. S. Supreme Court reverses 1877 decision in case of Wabash Railroad v. Illinois (where states regulated railroad rates);  proclaims only Congress has the right to regulate interstate commerce. [DWS/STOV]

• The Richmond Locomotive and Machine Works is founded. [SAM] 

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