Time Line - 1918

Last Year | Next Year

• World War I continues.

• January 17. The D&M has notified shippers of an embargo on all but the necessities of life, to continue until the fuel famine is relieved. The D&M has 110 carloads of freight in the yards in Bay City which cannot be moved beyond that point because connecting roads are unable to accept it. Also there are about 200 loads similarly situated elsewhere on the road. [DFP-1918-0117]

• February 21: 17 miners are killed when a cave-in and flood trap them at the Amasa-Porter Mine near Crystal Falls.

• March 27: Central Standard Time adopted in Michigan (see October). [DWS]

• March: The Keweenaw Central Railroad between Manden and Calumet is abandoned.  [MDOT]

• June 28: The White Lumber Company's Mill burns down at Boyne City. The White family owned the Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena Railroad. Mill offices and offices of the BCG&A were saved. [OCA]

• July 31: The USRA takes over the Great Lakes carferry fleet. [MT]

• August 1: Port Huron and Detroit completes line from Marysville to Marine City. [MRRC]

• August 15: The Boyne City, Gaylord and Alpena RR completes its line into Alpena.  [MDOT/AAD]  It will be four months before service begins. [MT]

• October:  Eastern Standard Time adopted in Michigan. [DWS]

• November 11:  World War I ends.

  ---

• Pere Marquette RR abandons line from Spencer to Kalkaska, 7 miles. [PMHS/COHS-8/1997]

• Lake Michigan & Superior RR ceases operation from Pike Lake south to a junction with the DSS&A. [MSL]

• Wisconsin & Michigan abandons its line from Peshtigo Harbor, WI to Bagley Jct., MI via Peshtigo, WI (near Menominee). [MW]

• W&M also abandons its line from Faithorn to Aragon Jct.  (Their line from Aragon Jct. to Iron Mountain continues to be operated by the Milwaukee Road. [MW]

• American Railway Express consolidates rail lines as a war time measure. [DWS]

• Wisconsin & Michigan Ry. receives trackage rights on the Milwaukee Road between Bagley Jct., MI and Marinette/Menominee. The rights were given up in 1938. [MW]

• E&LS adds a branch line and spurs north off their main line at Mashek, to access hardwood forests. [EDP-12/27/1950]

• Grand Trunk Western opens new car shops at Port Huron.  They remain open until 2001. [CB]

• Fifty-seven (57) passenger trains arrived and departed daily from Kalamazoo's railroad stations. [AAD]

• Pere Marquette builds a six stall roundhouse at McGrew Yard in Flint. [PM45]

• Snapshot:  The Copper Range Hospital is located in Trimountain. Freda was the location of the copper stamp mills and a beautiful natural park on the shores of Lake Superior. Atlantic Mine was home to the Atlantic Mine and the D. A. Stratton Handle Co., manufacturers of broom handles, chair stock, etc. Dollar Bay was home to a wire mill, saw mill and the Lake Superior Smelting Works. Senter was home to the powder plant of the Atlas Powder Company [CRH]

• The government finally adopts Standard Time, which had been adopted by the railroads in 1883. [STOV]

• Goverment begins air-mail service. [STOV]

• The U. S. government merges all express companies into the American Railway Express Company. [SAM]

• The Grand Trunk Western completes their new car shops at Port Huron, at a cost of $250,000. [RA-1/4/1918]

• The New York Central completes their new engine facility at River Rouge. [RA-1/4/1918]

• The Pere Marquette installs 26 automatic block signals on their single track main line between South Lyon and Fowlerville. [RA-1/4/1918]

• The Pere Marquette installs 13 automatic block signals on their single track main line between Fennville and Grand Junction. [RA-1/4/1918]

• A combined force of Michigan State troopers and sheriff deputies stopped a passenger train loaded with contraband whiskey at the Michigan Central depot in Monroe. Bootleggers armed with pistols and shotguns suddenly appeared atop the coaches and in windows. These men ignored police orders to surrender and threatened to "shoot it out" if any officers approached. A tense standoff lasted for nearly thirty minutes before the law officers decided that discretion was, indeed, the better part of valor. They backed away and the whiskey train roared on. [PPD, p. 61]

• The 98-mile Wisconsin & Michigan railroad has decided to discontinue operation and was trying to locate its freight cars now scattered "all over the country", including 26 box, nine refrigerator, 12 gondola and 214 flat cars. [RSE]

 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