Time Line - 1883

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• March 18: The Wabash Railroad begins using the facilities of the Detroit Union Railroad Station and Depot Co. for passenger operations. The depot is located on Detroit's west side at the foot of Wabash Avenue. (This depot is not be be confused with the Fort Street Union Depot, which opened on January 21, 1893.) [MRC-6/1973]

• April 2: The East Tawas and Bay County Railroad becomes the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad. [HI]

• Spring: The Hermansville & Western, a tramway, replaces its tramway with iron rales between Hermansville and 8 miles west of Hermansville. [SOO-10/1991]

• March 1: Mecosta Railroad opens 3' line from Muskegon River to Horsehead Lake. Abandoned in 1888.  [MRRC]

• March 18: According to Farmer's History of Detroit, Wabash trains begin arriving and departing from the 12th Street Union Depot, located between Woodbridge (west of Jefferson and the Detroit River). Note: According to MCRR agreements, the Wabash trackage at Delray was not altered to that allignment until July 19, 1892.  [EMR4]

• May: Tracks are laid from Pontiac to Imlay City on the PO&N. [HB-Sum1993]

• June: Battle Creek Railway Co. opens line in Battle Creek. [MRRC]

• July: Marquette, Houghton & Ontonagon RR connects L'Anse with Houghton by rail, after the state approves a large land grant. [MDOT/AAD]

• August: The DM&M Railroad is building a grade from Marquette to Ishpeming and is short 50 men for construction. Some men are joining the track crews at meal time but are kicked out when discovered. [EHMT]

• September 23: Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Ry. opens line from Wisconsin stat4e line to Watersmeet. [MRRC]

• October 3: The Pontiac, Oxford, and Port Austin Railroad passenger train reaches Caseville. [MHM]

• October 8: Pontiac, Oxford and Port Austin Railroad completes line from Pontiac to Caseville. [MRRC]

• November 18: Railroads accept and implement William F. Allen's plan for 4 standard time zones. Goes into effect at noon. Most of the public accepts this system. [STOV]

• November 29: Michigan and Ohio Railroad completes line from Allegan to Dundee. [MRRC]

• December 31: Michigan Central RR opens car ferry service between Detroit and Windsor. [MDOT]

• The Detroit, Bay City and Alpena is created and extended north from Tawas to AuSable, connecting with Alger, Smith & Company's logging road which went to Mud Lake and their mill at Black River. An extension is also built from Prescott to a new junction called "Alger" and a connection with the Michigan Central. [GW]

• The Detroit, Bay City and Alpena charters the Steamer "Ossifrage" which provides through service from Black River to Alpena. [GW]

• Butters and Peters Co. build private logging road in Mason County (also called South Branch RR) 7 miles from the South Branch River, possibly in T16 & 17N R15W. [MRRC]

• Chippewa Lake Logging RR opens 3' gauge line, 3 miles in length in Mecosta County. Abandoned after 1883.  [MRRC]

• Crapo Lake & Northwestern opens Otsego County logging road 8 miles, from Crapo Lake northwesterly in T29N R1&2W. [MRRC]

• Houghton and L'Anse Railroad completes line between namesake cities. [SSJB/MSL]

• Marquette and Western Railroad completes line from Marquette to Ishpeming. [SSJB]

• DSS&A completes line from Nestoria to Iron River, WI. [SSJB]

• Lac la Belle and Calumet Rail Road opens 31 mile 3' main line from Mohawk to Phoenix. Renamed Keweenaw Central on April 25, 1905. (1883 date may not be accurate). [MRRC]

• The Michigan Air Line reaches Jackson from Pontiac. [AAD]

• The Toledo and South Haven extend their narrow gauge line from Lawrence to Hartford. [AAD]

• The Chicago & West Michigan Railroad opens a line from Troy to Baldwin. Later becomes part of the Pere Marquette. [PM45]

• The Michgan Central extends its branch line from Mt. Forst to Gladwin, and to Ogden in Arenac County.

• The Wells & Stone Lumber Company ran a 3' gauge line between Meredith and Butman (in Gladwin County).  A related line ran north from along the Sugar River forthe A. W. Wright Lumber Company. [NK]

• Incandescent lights are first used in Detroit. [DWS]

• Construction begins on new Michigan Central Railway depot at Third and Woodbridge to replace previous depot which was destroyed by arson. [DWS]

• Pontiac, Oxford & Port Austin Railroad builds a new, modest board-and-batten depot in Dryden. [MRC-12/1985]

• Flint & Pere Marquette is overburdened with cross-lake freight. They take F&PM Ludington vessels No. 1 and No. 2 boats (purchased in 1881), and cut them in half, in the middle. They are lengthened 36 feet to gain greater carrying capacity. [COHS-8/1997]

• Woven wire fence invented by Lenawee County man; Adrian factory begins production. [DWS]

• Railway trainmen organize into a union. [STOV]

• Lake Shore & Michigan Southern builds new depot at Coldwater. Continues to exist as of 1974. [IT-12/1974]

• The Pontiac, Oxford & Port Austin builds a new depot at Dryden. [MRP-I]

• The City of Detroit begins layout of Grand Boulevard, completing it in 1887. It was intended to serve as a peripheral road connecting all of the earlier major radial traffic arteries. [BOM]

• The Northern Hay Fever Association establishes a resort at Topinabee on the Michigan Central Railroad line north of Indian River.  [BOM] 

Time line Key:

• Railroad event in Michigan
• Event relating to mining
• Event related to car ferries
• Event outside of Michigan
• Improvement in Technology
• Railroad built or extended
• Railroad abandoned and/or removed
• Economic panic or depression