Trains of Thought

Harold Grant provided a great overview of the rail industry in Michigan last week, particularly the "Haywire" line in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Michigan has 3600 miles of track carrying 120 million tons of freight worth $162 billion annually.  In 1830 the first railroad was chartered in Michigan - the Detroit & Pontiac Railway Company.  Since 1900, over 450 railroads have operated in Michigan.  Railways were used heavily in the Upper Peninsula for logging, mining and transportation purposes.  Beginning in the late 1900's, the railroads were in decline and by the 1950's, passenger traffic had all but disappeared in Michigan.

The Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad, aka,  the "Haywire" operated in the Upper Peninsula.  It was called the Haywire because it was held together by wires from bales of hay.  There were lots of logging camps along the Haywire and once the logging industry declined, so did the need for the Haywire,  The route went from Shingleton to Manistee and was started in 1909 with capitalization of $250,000.  The last tracks of the Haywire were removed in 1968, but the path is still used as a snowmobile trail.

Thanks Harold for a very informative and interesting presentation!