Historical Albion Michigan
By Frank Passic

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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.

The DETROIT, TOLEDO & MILWAUKEE RAILROAD

Morning Star, November 15, 2009, pg. 14

We all know about the two prominent railroads that cross through Albion: The Michigan Central, and the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad. Did you know however that there once was another railroad that passed through a tiny corner of Section 31 in Albion Township near Homer?

It was the Detroit, Toledo & Milwaukee Railroad. This was originally constructed in 1883 and ran from Dundee to Allegan. Originally it was known as the Cincinnati, Jackson & Mackinaw Railroad. The line went through numerous small towns as it zig-zagged across southern Michigan. In our region, it went from Moscow to Hanover to Pulaksi, to Homer, then up to Eckford and Marshall, then to Ceresco. It then went to Battle Creek and northwards. If you've ever noticed the old railroad bed on the west side of Beadle Lake Road north of I-94 near Battle Creek, that's the remains of this line. The railroad just crossed too many others and competition was too great for it to make a profit. In its final years it was taken over by the New York Central Railroad.

During the Great Depression, the Interstate Commerce Commission authorized the abandonment of 89 miles of the line between Battle Creek and Dundee in June, 1932. The tracks were torn up thereafter, and the Eckford post office was closed in 1934. Recently the Homer Historical Society was able to acquire the Grover (southeast of Homer) station freight building, which has been placed at its Blair farm. From our Historical Notebook we present a photo of that freight building, awaiting restoration by the industrious Homer historians.


Grover Station freight building

Next: WASHINGTON GARDNER HIGH SCHOOL, Part 1


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