This giant concrete structure towers over the Lake Michigan town of Grand Haven. It is a coal tipple used to feed coal into steam locomotives. The Grand Trunk Western Railroad operated a large rail yard in Grand Haven when ferry service transported rail cars across Lake Michigan. In the 1950s diesel powered locomotives replace the old steam ones and the tipple was no longer used. In the 1970s the Grand Trunk ended freight service to Grand Haven and the rail yard was abandoned. The area has since been turned into a park and the old 1223 locomotive and a few historic rail cars stand on display in the park.

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This old depot was one of only a few train depots in Michigan with “Witch’s Hat” design. It was built in 1907 and stands in the town of Saranac between Ionia and Grand Rapids. It has  been a while since any train has stopped at the old depot. It now serves as a history museum and the old railroad tracks are now the Fred Meijer Grand River Valley Trail.

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The town of Holly had two railroad lines and together they built this beautiful red and yellow brick depot. The Detroit and Milwaukee Railway and the Flint and Holly Railroad founded by Michigan Governor Henry Crapo carried passengers into Holly. Probably to the now famous Battle Ally, which you can read my post about it HERE. The two railroads built a wooden depot in 1864 which burned down in 1884. The current depot was constructed in 1886. It had two ticket windows, one for each railroad. The last passenger train left Holly and the brick depot in 1964.

A non-profit group is in the process of trying to move and restore the old depot. you can see thier facebook page HERE

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Sometimes I think that I was born in the wrong century. I often wonder what it was like riding the train from town to town in Michigan in the early 1900’s. I have to admit when it comes to trains I am a buff like Sheldon Cooper and have visited train museums. I like to visit the old train depots left over from that bygone era, like the beautiful old depot in Muskegon. The Historical marker next to it reads:

The Union Depot was opened in 1895 to serve the Chicago & West Michigan Railway; The Muskegon, Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad; and the Toledo, Saginaw & Muskegon Railroad. A.W. Rush and Son of Grand Rapids designed the Richardsonian Romanesque station. Several national political figures paused at the depot during whistle-stop campaigns. In 1896, William Jennings Bryan stopped during the first of three unsuccessful presidential bids. The 1952 campaign brought Republican vice presidential candidate, and future president Richard M. Nixon to Muskegon as well as President Harry S Truman who stopped on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson. The Union Depot closed in 1971. It was donated to Muskegon County in 1992 and restored as a visitors’ center and museum.

Reminder. I will be at the Walker Memorial Library giving a presentation on March 16th, at 6 pm.

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This tan and green depot stands in the small town of Bloomingdale. It is between Kalamazoo and South Haven and the depot was originally called the Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad Depot, it was completed in December 1870. Harvey Howard, owner of the local sawmill, and his brothers Zenas and Joseph supplied the lumber and built the depot. Its original location was an acre of land donated by Augustus Haven. The park built on the depot grounds in 1912 is named in Haven’s honor. The first passenger train arrived in Bloomingdale on July 4, 1870. The railroad stopped using the rail line in the 1970s. It is now part of the Kal-Haven Trail State Park for bikers and hikers to enjoy. Bloomingdale is about the halfway point of the 33 mile trail.

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Alden is a beautiful little tourist town on the east side of Torch Lake. It’s probably most known for the Alden Mill House but I also like this old train depot south of town. A historical marker next to it reads:

In 1891-92 the Chicago and West Michigan Railway, precursor to the Pere Marquette Railroad, extended the line between Traverse City and Petoskey through Spencer Creek. William Alden Smith, the railway’s general counsel, advocated the line through Spencer Creek, and in 1891 the town renamed Alden in his honor. Its location aided travel and shipping between Chicago and Petosky, supporting agriculture, lumbering and eventually tourism. The Pere Marquette built this depot in 1907 to replace one that burned in 1906. Northern Michigan newspapers called it the railroad’s finest depot north of Grand Rapids. In 1981 the last train left Alden. Helena Township acquired the depot in 1986.

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I took this photo from the other side of the tracks on a freezing cold Michigan evening, but I love the way the Durand Union station looks all decorated for the Holidays.

Built in 1903 by the Detroit firm of Spier and Rohns it had a high volume of rail traffic as the Grand Trunk Western and Ann Arbor railroads crossed in Durand. It was almost destroyed by fire in 1905, but quickly rebuilt. At its peak, 42 passenger, 22 mail, and 78 freight trains passed through Durand on a daily basis and it serviced almost 3,000 passengers a day.

In 1974, Grand Trunk Western decided to close the station due to declining traffic. The historic building was going to be torn down, however, the city of Durand filed for an injunction to stop the demolition and eventually purchased the station in 1979 for $1.00 and I think it was the best one dollar investment in the state of Michigan.

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The brick train depot in Albion has been welcoming visitors since 1882. It served the town for decades greeting passenger trains until 1972. It was eventually restored and is still used today by Amtrack and as a bus depot.

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