Williamston railroad history
The early effort for linking the area with rails to the outside world began when a group of businessmen formed the Detroit and Howell Railroad Company in 1864. Later, the Howell and Lansing Railroad Company was formed in 1868 with Williamston residents Egbert Grattan, Joseph Dennis, James Williams and J.B. Waldo as some of its backers. Both groups had grand plans, but a setback came in 1869 when a railroad bond sale was blocked by the Michigan Supreme Court. The delay motivated the two fledgling lines to consolidate on April 11, 1870 to create, on paper, the Detroit, Howell and Lansing Railroad. Even with the merger raising several hundred thousand dollars, the money couldn’t cover more than building of a grade on the Detroit to Howell section. A Detroit investment group led by James Joy agreed to assume the bonded debt for control of the two company’s charters with the promise that they would complete the road. Within a few months another paper merger developed into the Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan Railroad. Additional grading, planning and surveying consumed the rest of 1870.
By the early spring of 1871 the group was ready for the actual laying of rails. The D. L. & LM had crews working west from Detroit and east from Lansing in an effort to speed up the construction. By July 4, enough track had been laid to send a train “from the west” with “200 passengers” to Williamston to celebrate the nation’s birthday. It took about two months to connect the remaining middle 28 miles of track, which included the towns of Fowlerville and Howell and the new community of Webberville. On August 22, 1871 the road was opened for its maiden voyage. According to D. L. & LM the first week of business totaled $11,447.20, with 70 percent of the receipts from shipping freight.
Unfortunately, as one expert summarized years later, “the bonded indebtedness was too great for the earning capacities of the road,” and in four short years, on July 31, 1876, the company went into receivership. Out of the reorganization came the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad Company. By rolling the previous debt into the cost of operations, the new firm wiped away a two million dollar deficit and began with a clean book. At first this tactic helped, as the line was profitable for the next eleven years and investors were even paid dividends. However, the northern end of the road to Howard City started experiencing a dramatic decline in freight receipts, due to the fading Michigan lumber business, along with the arrival of the Great Depression of 1893, and profits plummeted. The agricultural and manufacturing shipping from the southern line wasn’t enough to off-set the losses and the D. L. & N also went into bankruptcy. In 1896 the company was purchased and merged with other rail lines and renamed the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western Railroad.
The business arrangements did produce at $200,000 profit for the new owners over the next three years. With that stronger balance sheet, in 1899 the Pere Marquette Railroad Company expanded its already massive holdings and purchased the D. G.R. & W. After a few years of profitability the famed “Robber Barons” then began to suck out as much money from the P.M. line as they could, ignored needed track repairs, and inflated rolling stock and property values in an effort to make a rosier balance sheet than actually existed. Eventually, by 1917 this mismanagement took its toll and this firm too ended in bankruptcy. A newly created and nearly identical company called the Pere Marquette Railway Company began to operate along Williamston’s corridor. This business reorganization did created twelve years of efficiency. But change was in store again when in 1929 the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad assumed managing control of the P. M. line. Despite the purchase, the Pere Marquette still operated under its name for another 18 years until April 1, 1947, when it was officially named the C & O Railroad.
In 1963 the C & O purchased the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and changed their company name to the Chessie System. In September of that same year, the last passenger service in Williamston ceased and freight service ended a few years later.
The line’s current name of CSX Railroad was created in 1983 when the Chessie System and the Family Lines companies merged operations.
Over the years and at all hours of the day and night different names have graced the sides of trains passing through Williamston. But without a doubt, the history of the community was greatly altered with the arrival of the railroad over a century ago.
(Mitch Lutzke is a Depot Board member and a history teacher at Williamston High School).
By the early spring of 1871 the group was ready for the actual laying of rails. The D. L. & LM had crews working west from Detroit and east from Lansing in an effort to speed up the construction. By July 4, enough track had been laid to send a train “from the west” with “200 passengers” to Williamston to celebrate the nation’s birthday. It took about two months to connect the remaining middle 28 miles of track, which included the towns of Fowlerville and Howell and the new community of Webberville. On August 22, 1871 the road was opened for its maiden voyage. According to D. L. & LM the first week of business totaled $11,447.20, with 70 percent of the receipts from shipping freight.
Unfortunately, as one expert summarized years later, “the bonded indebtedness was too great for the earning capacities of the road,” and in four short years, on July 31, 1876, the company went into receivership. Out of the reorganization came the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad Company. By rolling the previous debt into the cost of operations, the new firm wiped away a two million dollar deficit and began with a clean book. At first this tactic helped, as the line was profitable for the next eleven years and investors were even paid dividends. However, the northern end of the road to Howard City started experiencing a dramatic decline in freight receipts, due to the fading Michigan lumber business, along with the arrival of the Great Depression of 1893, and profits plummeted. The agricultural and manufacturing shipping from the southern line wasn’t enough to off-set the losses and the D. L. & N also went into bankruptcy. In 1896 the company was purchased and merged with other rail lines and renamed the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western Railroad.
The business arrangements did produce at $200,000 profit for the new owners over the next three years. With that stronger balance sheet, in 1899 the Pere Marquette Railroad Company expanded its already massive holdings and purchased the D. G.R. & W. After a few years of profitability the famed “Robber Barons” then began to suck out as much money from the P.M. line as they could, ignored needed track repairs, and inflated rolling stock and property values in an effort to make a rosier balance sheet than actually existed. Eventually, by 1917 this mismanagement took its toll and this firm too ended in bankruptcy. A newly created and nearly identical company called the Pere Marquette Railway Company began to operate along Williamston’s corridor. This business reorganization did created twelve years of efficiency. But change was in store again when in 1929 the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad assumed managing control of the P. M. line. Despite the purchase, the Pere Marquette still operated under its name for another 18 years until April 1, 1947, when it was officially named the C & O Railroad.
In 1963 the C & O purchased the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and changed their company name to the Chessie System. In September of that same year, the last passenger service in Williamston ceased and freight service ended a few years later.
The line’s current name of CSX Railroad was created in 1983 when the Chessie System and the Family Lines companies merged operations.
Over the years and at all hours of the day and night different names have graced the sides of trains passing through Williamston. But without a doubt, the history of the community was greatly altered with the arrival of the railroad over a century ago.
(Mitch Lutzke is a Depot Board member and a history teacher at Williamston High School).