Time Line - 1912

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• January 12: Ann Arbor RR's 100-room resort hotel at Frankfort, the Hotel Frontenac, built in 1907, burns. [MDOT]

• January 26: An agreement is reached between the Pere Marquette and the DT&I which allows the PM to install a second main track at the Carlton interlocking. This necessitates the moving of the current station, which PM agrees to cover all costs. [MASI]

• April 15: Charles M. Hays, chief exectivr of the Grand Trunk Railway from 1905 to 1912, drowns during the maiden voyage of the Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland. [GTCR-1986-10]

• May 13: A cave-in at the Norrie iron mine in Ironwood kills seven miners.

• July 23: The first general strike in the history of the Lake Superior Copper region became a realization today, following a meeting organized by the Western Federation of Miners.  Underground operations have ceased in practically every mine in the copper region.  Minors demand recognition of the union, shorter hours, increased wages, and assignment of two men to operate the one-man drilling machines. By July 24th, the entire region is at a standstill, including above ground operations. Only the Winona Mine remains open with one shaft in operation. Violence in the region escalates. On July 25th, the Michigan National Guard is activated and troops entrain for the copper country strike zone as soon as [train] cars are available. 2,000 militia will be in the region by tomorrow night. [CCEN]

• August 12: The Michigan Railroad Commission is given the additional duty of regulating the electric power grid in Michigan. [MT]

• August 19: A shipment of 20 cars of rock this morning marked the beginning of shipments to the C&H mills, after a period of idleness of nearly a month due to the strike. [CCEN]

• August 23: Traffic on the Michigan Central in the vicinity of Niles, Mich., was seriously disturbed on account of a storm on Sunday, August 18, which washed out tracks and yards, and necessitated the detouring of traffic over the Lake Shore. [RG]
• August 23: The Michigan Central has awarded contracts for a 30-stall roiundhouse, machine shopo, office building and car repair shop at Wenona Yard in Bay City. [RG]

• October 25: The DSS&A train due to arrive in Calumet at 8:50 last night was attacked by armed men, supposed to be strikers, just as it began to climb the Quincy hill out of Hancock.  Several volleys of shots were fired at two coaches bearing outside workmen to the C&H mine.  The shooting continued for a distance of 3/4 of a mile and passengers aboard the train claim that scores of shots were fired. [CCEN]

• November 23: The Lake Shore puts into service the first single track automatic block signals on its line. They were installed on the Old Road, between Elkhart and White Pigeon, Michigan.  the signals were three position, upper quadrant. Three meeting points were arranged between the two towns Morehous and Bristol, Indiana, and at Vistula, Michigan. Railroad men anticipated that this would greatly help the operation on that busy track. [LS]

• December 24: A holocaust unparalleled in Michigan history occurred about 5:00 p.m. in the Italian hall on north Seventh street in Calumet when approximately 80 lives, mostly children, were lost. An unknown person yelled "fire" in the upstairs of the hall, which was hosting a Christmas Party for the children of striking miners. In the rush to the exists, the dead were trampled. This was the last straw for most in the mining community, and Charles H. Moyer, the President of the Western Federation of Miners was deported. It was reported that he was shot, beaten and dragged through the streets of Hancock, and guarded on the train until 2 o'clock this morning when the train reached Channing, Michigan. The 6 month long strike in the region ended. [CCEN]

• Railway activity at Durand peaked with as many as 42 passenger, 22 mail and 78 freight trains passing daily through the town. [MDOT]

• Michigan Central completes its 2.46 mile line from their Detroit, Delray & Dearborn line (in what is later known as Melvindale) to Junction Yard. Later known as the Junction Yard branch.  [RA-1/17/1913]

• Pere Marquette RR constructs Ludington roundhouse with 12 stalls and a 85' long turntable. [PMHS][PM45]

• Michigan Central Railroad adds yards at Windsor, Ontario, and at Grayling, Wenona (northwest of West Bay City) and River Rouge in Michigan. [RA-1/17/1913]

• Grand Trunk builds new depots at Waterford and Stockbridge. Depots continue to exist as of 1974. [IT-12/1974]

• The LS&I completes work on a new, concrete ore dock reinforced with a self-supporting steel frame. The dock was the second of its kind on the Great lakes, the first being built by the Great Northern Railway at Superior, Wisconsin. The dock is 1,250 feet long, 60 feet wide. It is 75 feet above the water, with 200 pockets, 12 foot centers, with two door openings of three feet eight inches each, or a total clear opening of seven feet four inches wide. It has a capacity of 250 tons per pocket and a total storage capacity of 50,000 tones. The approach to the dock is about 1 mile long on a 1 1/2% grade. [MRC-10/1987/BOM]

• The Wells & Stone Lumber Company 3' line between Meredith and Butman (in Gladwin County) was removed. [NK]

 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