Michigan United Railways
Encyclopedia
Michigan United Railways (MUR) was an interurban
which owned and leased numerous lines in the state of Michigan
during the early twentieth century.
on March 31, 1906, with the intention of owning a line from Kalamazoo connecting eastwards to Battle Creek
, Jackson
, Lansing
and St. Johns
. On May 1 of that year the MUR consolidated the Lansing & Suburban Traction, Lansing City Electric, Michigan Traction Extension and Michigan Traction. The company also leased Jackson and Battle Creek Traction and the Lansing & Jackson. Taken together, these moves gave the company two intercity lines; one running from Kalamazoo to Jackson and other from Lansing to St. Johns, and the local streetcar operations in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Lansing. In May 1907 it acquired control of Jackson Consolidated Traction as well, which gave it Jackson's streetcar operations and several suburban lines.
On January 22, 1910 the MUR created the Lansing & Northeastern to construct a line east from Lansing to Owosso
; it leased this line beginning in 1912. In 1911 the MUR bought the Owosso & Corunna Electric, which operated lines in and around Owosso. Between 1911 and 1916 the MUR leased the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago
, an unelectrified interurban which connected the Lake Michigan
port of South Haven
. On April 1, 1912, the MUR leased all its lines to Michigan United Traction, and arrangement which lasted until January 1, 1916, when all lines were re-leased to the Michigan Railway. That company dissolved in 1921 and the MUR again held its lines directly. In 1923 the MUR transferred all its owned lines, and some of its leases, to the Michigan Electric. The Michigan United Railways Company dissolved in 1924.
, Albion
, Marshall
, Augusta
and Galesburg
. There were two branch lines as well: one which split at Gull Lake Junction and ran north to Yorkville, providing service to the Gull Lake community, and one which ran north from Jackson to Grass Lake
. The Gull Lake branch had been built by Michigan Traction in 1901, and was abandoned under Michigan United Traction in 1916. The Grass Lake branch was built by Jackson & Suburban Traction in 1901; by 1929 Michigan Electric had abandoned all of it save a short segment out to Michigan Center
, which it sold to Jackson Transportation. Michigan Electric abandoned the main line in its entirety on November 11, 1928.
Through an arrangement with the Detroit United Railway
(DUR) Michigan United cars ran east from Jackson into Detroit, allowing through car service between Kalamazoo and Detroit.
as well. The Lansing–St. Johns line was constructed in 1902 by the Lansing, St. Johns & St. Louis
. It ran over streetcar lines in Lansing before turning north and running through DeWitt
to St. Johns, for a total length of 19.61 miles (31.6 km). Another branch line ran to Owosso; this was built in 1910 by the Lansing & Northeastern, a wholly owned subsidiary of Michigan United. The line ran northeast along the Grand Trunk Western's Chicago–Port Huron
line before turning north at Morrice
and entering Owosso, for a total length of 33.2 miles (53.4 km). Michigan Electric abandoned all three lines in May 1929.
and Flint
. The main line, which ran from Bay City
to Flint, was built in stages between 1904 and 1914. The initial segment, Saginaw
to Bridgeport
, was built in 1904 by the Detroit, Flint & Saginaw. The same year the company built a branch line to Frankenmuth
("little Bavaria
"). In 1908 the Saginaw & Flint, successor to the DF&S, branched off west of Frankenmuth and completed the line to Flint. Finally, in 1911, the S&F built north from Saginaw to Bay City, finishing the main line for a total length of 47.09 miles (75.8 km). Ownership passed to Michigan Railroad in 1919, and that company abandoned the Frankenmuth branch in 1922 and the main line in 1929. The Michigan United owned a separate Saginaw–Bay City line which had come down to it from the Saginaw–Bay City. This 13.44 miles (21.6 km) line ran along the left bank of the Saginaw River
through Zilwaukee
. Michigan Railroad sold the Saginaw–Zilwaukee section to Saginaw Transit in 1922 and then abandoned the rest.
. This line opened in 1915 and was abandoned in 1929. At Montieth Junction the main crossed the "Battle Creek branch," a 31.74 miles (51.1 km) line connecting southeast to Battle Creek originally built by the Michigan & Ohio
. This line had been taken over by the Michigan & Chicago, another interurban, and electrified. The Michigan Railway took over operations in 1914; its successor, Michigan Railroad, abandoned all but a small stretch in 1928. The remainder, Battle Creek–Hooper, was sold to the Michigan Central
in 1930. Another branch owned by the Michigan & Chicago, which continued from Montieth west to Allegan
, was also abandoned in 1928.
, a Kalamazoo–South Haven line. Although intended as another interurban, its owners lacked the capital for electrification. The MUR hoped to use the line to tap into the lucrative Lake Michigan
traffic, but this never happened and the MUR allowed the lease to lapse in 1916.
Between 1916 and 1924 the Michigan United (through the Michigan Railway) leased the Grand Rapids, Holland & Chicago, which connected Grand Rapids with the Lake Michigan
communities of Holland
and Saugatuck
.
Much of the Michigan United's network used an electrified third rail
to power the locomotive
s. Cars carried a "shoe" which rode on top of the third rail. This proved a problem during Michigan's notoriously harsh winters, when ice build-up on the tracks inhibited conductivity. To meet this challenge W. Silvius, the Michigan United equipment superintendent in Albion
, developed a "pneumatic sleet shoe." The design was similar to a standard shoe, but included four steel cutters on the front to cut the sleet
, while a system of air hoses allowed the motorman
to lower as needed.
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
which owned and leased numerous lines in the state of 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"....
during the early twentieth century.
Corporate history
The company incorporated in KalamazooKalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
on March 31, 1906, with the intention of owning a line from Kalamazoo connecting eastwards to Battle Creek
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
, Jackson
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
, Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
and St. Johns
St. Johns, Michigan
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,485 people, 2,994 households, and 1,999 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,909.1 per square mile . There were 3,148 housing units at an average density of 802.9 per square mile...
. On May 1 of that year the MUR consolidated the Lansing & Suburban Traction, Lansing City Electric, Michigan Traction Extension and Michigan Traction. The company also leased Jackson and Battle Creek Traction and the Lansing & Jackson. Taken together, these moves gave the company two intercity lines; one running from Kalamazoo to Jackson and other from Lansing to St. Johns, and the local streetcar operations in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Lansing. In May 1907 it acquired control of Jackson Consolidated Traction as well, which gave it Jackson's streetcar operations and several suburban lines.
On January 22, 1910 the MUR created the Lansing & Northeastern to construct a line east from Lansing to Owosso
Owosso, Michigan
Owosso is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,713 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the eastern side of Owosso Township, but is politically independent...
; it leased this line beginning in 1912. In 1911 the MUR bought the Owosso & Corunna Electric, which operated lines in and around Owosso. Between 1911 and 1916 the MUR leased the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago
Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago Railway
The Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago Railway operated on track laid between Kalamazoo and South Haven, Michigan. Much of the track has been removed and is now known as the "Van Buren Trail"....
, an unelectrified interurban which connected the Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
port of South Haven
South Haven, Michigan
South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The population was 5,021 at the 2000 census....
. On April 1, 1912, the MUR leased all its lines to Michigan United Traction, and arrangement which lasted until January 1, 1916, when all lines were re-leased to the Michigan Railway. That company dissolved in 1921 and the MUR again held its lines directly. In 1923 the MUR transferred all its owned lines, and some of its leases, to the Michigan Electric. The Michigan United Railways Company dissolved in 1924.
Operations
During its lifetime the Michigan United operated a number of different lines, most of which it acquired through the acquisition of other companies rather than new construction.Southern Division
In its initial round of consolidations and leases the Michigan United had acquired the Michigan Traction Company and the Jackson & Battle Creek Traction Company. Between 1901 and 1903 these two companies had built a 68.58 miles (110.4 km) line between Kalamazoo and Jackson (via Battle Creek). The line was almost entirely new construction, except for in Jackson, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, where it shared track with local streetcar operations. There was additional street-running in ParmaParma, Michigan
Parma is a village in Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 907 at the 2000 census. This was an increase from 875, the population in 1990, and this marks the first time the village of Parma had more than 900 people....
, Albion
Albion, Michigan
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The population was 9,144 at the 2000 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Marshall
Marshall, Michigan
Marshall is a city located in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,459. It is the county seat of Calhoun County...
, Augusta
Augusta, Michigan
Augusta is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 899 at the 2000 census. The village is mostly within Ross Township, though a small portion extends south into Charleston Township....
and Galesburg
Galesburg, Michigan
Galesburg is a city in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,009 at the 2010 census.Galesburg is on the north side of the Kalamazoo River on the boundary between Comstock Charter Township on the west and Charleston Township on the east, but is politically independent...
. There were two branch lines as well: one which split at Gull Lake Junction and ran north to Yorkville, providing service to the Gull Lake community, and one which ran north from Jackson to Grass Lake
Grass Lake, Michigan
Grass Lake is a village in Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,082 at the 2000 census.In 1842 the Michigan Central Railroad bypassed the original village and built a depot to the west...
. The Gull Lake branch had been built by Michigan Traction in 1901, and was abandoned under Michigan United Traction in 1916. The Grass Lake branch was built by Jackson & Suburban Traction in 1901; by 1929 Michigan Electric had abandoned all of it save a short segment out to Michigan Center
Michigan Center, Michigan
Michigan Center is an unincorporated community in Leoni Township of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also a census-designated place for statistical purposes and without legal status as an incorporated municipality...
, which it sold to Jackson Transportation. Michigan Electric abandoned the main line in its entirety on November 11, 1928.
Through an arrangement with the Detroit United Railway
Detroit United Railway
The Detroit United Railway was a transport company which operated numerous streetcar and interurban lines in southeast Michigan. Although many of the lines were originally built by different companies, they were consolidated under the control of the Everett-Moore syndicate, a Cleveland-based group...
(DUR) Michigan United cars ran east from Jackson into Detroit, allowing through car service between Kalamazoo and Detroit.
Northern Division
The main line of the Northern Division, which ran from Jackson to Lansing, was constructed in 1909, and was a rare instance of the Michigan United building a line itself rather than acquiring an existing company. The line was 37.34 miles (60.1 km) in length, and connected the Southern Division with the Lansing–St. Johns line. As was customary it ran over local streetcar lines in both Lansing and Jackson, but there was additional street-running in LeslieLeslie, Michigan
Leslie is a city in Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,851 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by Leslie Township, but is politically autonomous.-Geography:...
as well. The Lansing–St. Johns line was constructed in 1902 by the Lansing, St. Johns & St. Louis
Lansing, St. Johns and St. Louis Railway
The Lansing, St. Johns and St. Louis Railway was an electric interurban railway which briefly operated independently in central Michigan during the early 20th century. It was the site of a failed attempt to introduce alternating current to the interurban scene....
. It ran over streetcar lines in Lansing before turning north and running through DeWitt
DeWitt, Michigan
DeWitt is a city in Clinton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,507 at the 2010 census.-History:DeWitt was named after DeWitt Clinton, Governor of New York during the 1830s. It was first settled by Captain David Scott, who moved there from Ann Arbor in 1833, and platted the...
to St. Johns, for a total length of 19.61 miles (31.6 km). Another branch line ran to Owosso; this was built in 1910 by the Lansing & Northeastern, a wholly owned subsidiary of Michigan United. The line ran northeast along the Grand Trunk Western's Chicago–Port Huron
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
line before turning north at Morrice
Morrice, Michigan
Morrice is a village located within Perry Township in Shiawassee County, of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 882...
and entering Owosso, for a total length of 33.2 miles (53.4 km). Michigan Electric abandoned all three lines in May 1929.
Northeastern Division
The Northeastern Division operated several lines and branches in the Tri-CitiesTri-Cities (Michigan)
The name Tri-Cities refers to two regions in the U.S. state of Michigan. Both are located in the Lower Peninsula.-The Greater Tri-Cities Region:The larger and more well known Tri-Cities is the region surrounding the cities of Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland...
and Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
. The main line, which ran from Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
to Flint, was built in stages between 1904 and 1914. The initial segment, Saginaw
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
to Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Michigan
Bridgeport is an unincorporated community in Bridgeport Charter Township, Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also a census-designated place for statistical purposes. The population was 7,849 at the 2000 census. Bridgeport is also the name of a post office with ZIP code 48722...
, was built in 1904 by the Detroit, Flint & Saginaw. The same year the company built a branch line to Frankenmuth
Frankenmuth, Michigan
Frankenmuth is a city in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,838 at the 2000 census. The 2009 census estimate places the population at 4,619. The city is located within Frankenmuth Township, but is politically independent. Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, which bills...
("little Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
"). In 1908 the Saginaw & Flint, successor to the DF&S, branched off west of Frankenmuth and completed the line to Flint. Finally, in 1911, the S&F built north from Saginaw to Bay City, finishing the main line for a total length of 47.09 miles (75.8 km). Ownership passed to Michigan Railroad in 1919, and that company abandoned the Frankenmuth branch in 1922 and the main line in 1929. The Michigan United owned a separate Saginaw–Bay City line which had come down to it from the Saginaw–Bay City. This 13.44 miles (21.6 km) line ran along the left bank of the Saginaw River
Saginaw River
The Saginaw River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is formed by the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee rivers southwest of Saginaw. It flows northward into the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron just northeast of Bay City. The watershed area is .The river is an important shipping...
through Zilwaukee
Zilwaukee, Michigan
Zilwaukee is a city in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,799 at the 2000 census. The 2009 Census Bureau estimate places the population at 1,640. The city is adjacent to and was created from Zilwaukee Township...
. Michigan Railroad sold the Saginaw–Zilwaukee section to Saginaw Transit in 1922 and then abandoned the rest.
Western Division
The main line of the Western Division was the last major addition to Michigan United's network: a newly-built 49.72 miles (80 km) line running north from Kalamazoo to Grand RapidsGrand 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...
. This line opened in 1915 and was abandoned in 1929. At Montieth Junction the main crossed the "Battle Creek branch," a 31.74 miles (51.1 km) line connecting southeast to Battle Creek originally built by the Michigan & Ohio
Michigan and Ohio Railroad
The Michigan and Ohio Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in southern Michigan in the mid-1880s. Originally intended to forge a new line from Lake Erie to Lake Michigan, it came close to its goal, completing a line between Allegan and Dundee before financial embarrassment landed it in...
. This line had been taken over by the Michigan & Chicago, another interurban, and electrified. The Michigan Railway took over operations in 1914; its successor, Michigan Railroad, abandoned all but a small stretch in 1928. The remainder, Battle Creek–Hooper, was sold to the Michigan Central
Michigan Central Railroad
The Michigan Central Railroad was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada...
in 1930. Another branch owned by the Michigan & Chicago, which continued from Montieth west to Allegan
Allegan, Michigan
Allegan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,838. It is the county seat of Allegan County. The city lies within Allegan Township, but is administratively autonomous....
, was also abandoned in 1928.
Other
In 1911 the Michigan United leased the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and ChicagoKalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago Railway
The Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago Railway operated on track laid between Kalamazoo and South Haven, Michigan. Much of the track has been removed and is now known as the "Van Buren Trail"....
, a Kalamazoo–South Haven line. Although intended as another interurban, its owners lacked the capital for electrification. The MUR hoped to use the line to tap into the lucrative Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
traffic, but this never happened and the MUR allowed the lease to lapse in 1916.
Between 1916 and 1924 the Michigan United (through the Michigan Railway) leased the Grand Rapids, Holland & Chicago, which connected Grand Rapids with the Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
communities of Holland
Holland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
and Saugatuck
Saugatuck, Michigan
Saugatuck is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 925 at the 2010 census. The city is within Saugatuck Township, but is administratively autonomous....
.
Equipment
Much of the Michigan United's network used an electrified third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
to power the locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s. Cars carried a "shoe" which rode on top of the third rail. This proved a problem during Michigan's notoriously harsh winters, when ice build-up on the tracks inhibited conductivity. To meet this challenge W. Silvius, the Michigan United equipment superintendent in Albion
Albion, Michigan
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The population was 9,144 at the 2000 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, developed a "pneumatic sleet shoe." The design was similar to a standard shoe, but included four steel cutters on the front to cut the sleet
Ice pellets
Ice pellets are a form of precipitation consisting of small, translucent balls of ice. Ice pellets usually are smaller than hailstones. They often bounce when they hit the ground, and generally do not freeze into a solid mass unless mixed with freezing rain...
, while a system of air hoses allowed the motorman
Motorman
A motorman is the person who operates an electrified trolley car, tram, light rail, or rapid transit train.The term refers to the person who is in charge of the motor in the same sense as a railroad engineer is in charge of the engine. The term was gender-neutral...
to lower as needed.