Time Line - 1896

Last Year | Next Year

• Early:  The Detroit & Mackinac extension south from Emery Jct. reaches Omer.  [GW]

• April 25:  Cincinnati Northern RR (Jackson and Cincinnati Railway) was completed to Jackson from Hudson and south.   [MDOT]  (per MRRC opened Jackson to Addison Jct.]

• July 2:  The Lima Northern Railway begins service between Adrian and Lima Ohio, using Wabash tracks from Adrian to a junction 9 miles south of Adrian, and then onto Lima Northern tracks.  This gap was later closed when they installed their own tracks.  They also constructed tracks within the next year from Adrian to Tecumseh.  [EMR4]

• August 7: The D&M south extension reaches Saganing from Omer.  [GW]

• August 12:  Lake Superior & Ishpeming opens line from Presque Isle to Ishpeming.  [MRRC]

• September 17:  Detroit and Mackinac RR opens new connection from Emery Jct. to Bay City with a train full of newspaper men from Bay City.  It is officially opened to the public n September 20th at noon..  [NK/GW]  D&M 1896 Annual Report says September 20th.  The report also states that the line has low grades and easy curves and has already handled as many as 74 loaded freight cars in one train over the extension.

• Fall:  The D&M abandons its line from Prescott to Alger.  [GW]

• October 9. An Ann Arbor railroad sand and gravel train struck another freight train which was taking on water at the Lake Shore crossing in Dundee. The wreck was described as "a sad affair", with the gravel train's engine and cars ditched and piled two and three deep. The train crew jumped in time to save their lives. [YEX-1896-1009]

• October 14:  The Ann Arbor Railroad opens its new Central Station in downtown Toledo.  [AATHS-Spr/2002]

• October 16:  D&M moves its General Freight and Passenger Agent office to Bay City.  [GW]

• November 15:  Flint & Pere Marquette completes line from Monroe to Alexis, Ohio (Toledo).  [MRRC]

• Late:  D&M purchases Wheeler farm and builds yard at North Bay City.  [HI/GW]

• D&M completes its southward extension from Emery Jct. to Bay City.  [HI]

• Cecil Bay Lumber Co. builds 3' gauge logging road in the Carp Lake-Cecil Bay Area of Emmet County.  [MRRC]

• Lewiston and Southeastern Railroad opens 3' gauge line, 15 miles from Lewiston southeast in Oscoda County.  [MRRC]

• Pere Marquette abandons 14 miles of track from Meredith to Harris.  [COHS-8/1997]

• Michigan Central builds depot at Mullett Lake.  Depot continues to exist into 1974.  [IT-12/1974]

• Grand Trunk builds depot at Greenville.  Depot continues to exist into 1974.  [IT-12/1974]

• LS&I builds new wooden ore dock at Presque Isle Harbor.  It is built of the latest type of construction for the period.  It was 54 feet high, 1200 feet long with 200 pockets each holding 160 tone or a total storage capacity of 32,000 tons.  By 1910, it had become obsolete.  [MRC-10/1987]

• The first automobiles appear on the streets of Detroit.  [BOM]

• The original Lowell & Hastings depot at Freeport burned down.  It was replaced.  [L&H]

• D&M's annual report for 1897 reports that two resorts, one in Linwood and one in Tawas, have been opened.  The report also explains that coal, limestone and gypsum have not been mined during the year ending 6/30/1997 because of the poor economy.  [DMAR-1897]

 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