Grant Depot and Water Tower
Encyclopedia
The Grant Depot and Water Tower (or The Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore Railroad
Company Depot and Water Tower) is a state historical site in Grant
, Michigan
. The railroad depot, and water tower
was built in 1891 by the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad, and within a few years became part of the Pere Marquette System. The water tower is believed to be the last original wooden water tower in the State of Michigan, and the site was added to the Michigan State Historical Registry on June 10, 1980.
, around this time, Grant shipped a lot of produce by rail. In 1915, 10 to 12 cars of peaches a day were shipped, and later in the 1930s carloads of onions were shipped out from this station, earning Grant the title of “Onion Capital of the World.”
This station was also very important in regards to the lumbering industry
. During the seasons of 1872-73, 9000000 board feet (21,237.6 m³) of logs came of out of Newaygo County, mostly from the Grant Station, at the rate of 100,000 a day. This was one of the first log trains in Michigan. By 1885 Andrew T. Squire, owner of the local saw mill and founder of Grant, was producing 1000000 board feet (2,359.7 m³) of lumber per year.
Until the late 1940s, there were two passenger trains, (each way) running everyday between Grand Rapids
and Traverse City, through the Grant Depot. The last passenger train ran in 1963.
In 1979 the depot was rebuilt to serve as a restaurant. The agents office and waiting room became a dining room. The freight room, became a kitchen, and an addition on the east side serves as an additional dining room. This restaurant is still operational today.
. This would allow the city to stop paying the lease, a historical marker to be place, and a small park to be created at the site. This move cost the city $60,000, of which the Fremont Area Community Foundation
awarded $50,000 in grants. The move attracted hundreds of on-lookers to the city including local television, and newspaper media. Prior to the move, The State Historical Commission was contacted, and they gave their approval and support for the project.
Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore Railroad
The Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Michigan between 1872 and 1881. The GRN&LS was chartered on September 11, 1869, under the leadership of David P. Clay. The company operated a line between Grand Rapids and White Cloud...
Company Depot and Water Tower) is a state historical site in Grant
Grant, Michigan
Grant is a city in Newaygo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 894 at the 2010 census. The city is on the boundary between Grant Township and Ashland Township, but is politically independent of both...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The railroad depot, and water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
was built in 1891 by the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad, and within a few years became part of the Pere Marquette System. The water tower is believed to be the last original wooden water tower in the State of Michigan, and the site was added to the Michigan State Historical Registry on June 10, 1980.
History
After being built in 1891, the station quickly became a very important part of the local enonomy. In terms of agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, around this time, Grant shipped a lot of produce by rail. In 1915, 10 to 12 cars of peaches a day were shipped, and later in the 1930s carloads of onions were shipped out from this station, earning Grant the title of “Onion Capital of the World.”
This station was also very important in regards to the lumbering industry
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
. During the seasons of 1872-73, 9000000 board feet (21,237.6 m³) of logs came of out of Newaygo County, mostly from the Grant Station, at the rate of 100,000 a day. This was one of the first log trains in Michigan. By 1885 Andrew T. Squire, owner of the local saw mill and founder of Grant, was producing 1000000 board feet (2,359.7 m³) of lumber per year.
Until the late 1940s, there were two passenger trains, (each way) running everyday between Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
and Traverse City, through the Grant Depot. The last passenger train ran in 1963.
In 1979 the depot was rebuilt to serve as a restaurant. The agents office and waiting room became a dining room. The freight room, became a kitchen, and an addition on the east side serves as an additional dining room. This restaurant is still operational today.
Water Tower Move
Up until June 26, 2008 the City-owned water tower sat on 0.004 acres (16.2 m²) of CSX owned land. The City of Grant had been paying a lease for that land for many years and CSX railroad was not interested in allowing for a state historical marker to be placed. Therefore it was decided to move the water tower 128 feet (39 m) to the east, in front of the city-owned cabooseCaboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
. This would allow the city to stop paying the lease, a historical marker to be place, and a small park to be created at the site. This move cost the city $60,000, of which the Fremont Area Community Foundation
Fremont Area Community Foundation
The Fremont Area Community Foundation is a philanthropic organization in Fremont, Michigan. Founded in 1972 to serve the people of Newaygo County, it is one of the largest community foundations in the United States on a per capita basis, serving a population of 50,000 with net assets of...
awarded $50,000 in grants. The move attracted hundreds of on-lookers to the city including local television, and newspaper media. Prior to the move, The State Historical Commission was contacted, and they gave their approval and support for the project.
State Historical Registry
This site was added to the Michigan State Historical Registry on June 10, 1980. It was assigned ID# P24311.External links
- City of Grant
- Newaygo County Historical Archives (Source for much of this article)
- Michigan's State Historic Preservation Office