Railroad: Cincinnati, Saginaw and Mackinaw railroad

Toledo, Saginaw & Mackinaw railroad → Cincinnati, Saginaw and Mackinaw Railroad → Grand Trunk Western railroad

Bought: Toledo, Saginaw & Mackinaw (Durand to Bay City) in 1889

Operated for 1 Years

Leased: Grand Trunk Western in 1890

Reference: [MRRC]

Notes

This was the Grand Trunk Western's branch line from Durand to Bay City via Saginaw.

Time Line

1889. The bridge over the Saginaw River in Saginaw is built. 194 feet. [MCR-1890] Height 15' 8". Depth of water 20 feet. Swung by hand power. Bridge protected by semaphore. [MCR-1903]

1890. January 1. The TS&M is effectively purchased by the new Cincinnati, Saginaw & Mackinaw railroad. Officers are the same and stock is valued at $5 million. According to the owners, the road name is changed to avoid confusion with the Toledo, Saginaw & Muskegon railroad.

1890. January 6. Through trains will be run to West Bay City on the CS&M railroad, commencing next Thursday. [SAG-1890-0106]

1890. January 9. The CS&M yesterday received two large locomotives from the east, they being from the Pennsylvania equipment, numbered 100 and 101. They are six-wheel connected switch engines, provided with air brakes and were made at the Altoona, PA works in 1869. They were designed to burn hard coal, but with this article at $7 per ton here it is probable soft coal grates will be substituted immediately. [SCH-1890-0109]

1890. June 6. The news was announced today that the Chicago & Grand Trunk railroad company is soon to begin operating the Cincinnati, Saginaw & Mackinaw Railroad, which runs from Durand to West Bay City. This will give the GT an independent entrance into the valley. Heretofore, that road had a running agreement with the F&PM. [DFP-1890-0606]

1890. November 6. The CS&M has passed from control of the energetic, enterprising gentlemen who built, equipped and operated it to become the Saginaw division of the Chicago & Grand Trunk (C&GT) railway. The transfer was made at London, England Friday evening and ratified at a special meeting of the stockholders held Saturday at Detroit, at which time also a plan of operating was discussed and adopted. The C&GT has secured a 99 year lease of the property. The terms are private. [SCH-1890-1106] Editors note: The lease was actually 29 years, not 99 as reported.

1891. July. Wages are being reduced on the CS&M to $65 per month. Employees feel that this is a scheme to fill their places with Grand Trunk men. [SAG-1891-0718]

1895. June 28. Mr. R. W. Cummings, Superintendent of the CS&M division of the Grand Trunk Railroad died at Saginaw, Mich. June 22, aged 32 years. [RG]

1891. April. The annual general meeting of the shareholders of the CS&M was held in Saginaw, with a large representation of stock in person or by proxy. A special train from Detroit brought several officers of the Chicago & Grand Trunk railroad and other gentlemen, including W.J. Spicer, General Manager, James H. Muir, treasurer, E.W. Meddaugh and George Jerome. The election of directors resulted in the choice of: A.W. Wright, W.;J;. Spicer, L.J. Seargeant, E.M. Meddaugh, W.R. Burt, F.C. Stone and S.O. Fisher. A.W. Wright was elected president. [SCH-1891-0423]

1894. June 13. Newell  B. Parsons was found guilty of the crime of stealing $463,000 worth of CS&M railroad bonds belonging to Wells, Stone & Co. of Saginaw. The jury trial was watched with interest by the population of Saginaw. [SAG-1894-0613]

1897. August. Newell B. Parsons, now serving a term in Jackson prison for the larceny of $463,000 worth of CS&M railway bonds will soon be a free man. Recently Parsons made a complete restitution of the stolen property and the prosecutor entered an order in the circuit court asking that other pending cases against Parsons be nolie pressed. Judge Wilbur ordered the other cases dismissed. Parsons' friends will now make a big effort to secure his pardon. [CN-1897-0819]

1900. July. There is a good deal of speculation in the Bay Cities as to what effect the United States Court's decision in the lease of the CS&M will have upon the operation of the road. The GT has a long lease but the stockholders or owners have repeatedly declined to put money into extensions and sidetracks, and the GT did not feel like spending its money to benefit the property of another company. As matters stood  the GT lost a good deal of business. It is believed here that the GT will now be in a position to dictate to the owners of the road and secure extensions, in case the latter desire to continue their business relations with the GT. [DFP-1900-0701] Editor's Note: The property improvement referred to here is likely the plan to build a bridge across the Saginaw river in Bay City, and construct terminal facilities in downtown Bay City.

1900. July 2. The order of the US Court permitting the C&GT railroad to cancel its lease of the CS&M road caused some speculation as to the fate of the road, which is owned here chiefly by Hon. W.R. Burt and A.W. Wright being the principal stockholders. W.F. Knowlton represents some interests, and said last night regarding the action of the court: "The road was leased not only to the C&GT, but to the Grand Trunk itself. The former line (C&GT) has been in the hands of a receiver, and of course, the order only applies to that branch of the system. The lease holds good so far as regards the Grand Trunk, and I have no doubt the CS&M will continue to be operated by the latter company. The lease runs for 30 years, and it is estimated that only one-third of the life of the lease has expired". [LSJ-1900-0702]

1900. July 9. The CS&M is now operated by the Grand Trunk railway company per the court. W.R. Burt stated that hereafter the road will be operated by the GT as a portion of their system but that there will be no changes which will affect local conditions. [SAG-1900-0709].

1901. February 14. Papers have been filed in the register of deeds office at the court house canceling and annulling the contract between the CS&M, C&GT and A.W. Wright, W.R. Burt and C.W. Wells, made in October, 1890 for 29 years. A new agreement reached December 28, 1890 has been filed between the parties (including George H. Russel, A.M. Marshall and T.H. Marshall) stipulates that the entire CS&M railroad franchises, its rolling stock and all privileges are leased to the GT for a period of 99 years. [SAG-1901-0214] The long lease will enable the GT system to do more than it ever has in the way of putting up strong competition for the Saginaw Valley traffic. [SAG-1901-0111]

1901. June. GT may enter Bay City very soon. The company has obtained an option from the Eddy estate on eight lots on that side of the river, directly back of the city hall. It is believed that the GT desires to enter Bay City to compete with the PM and MC for both freight and passenger business and that the land on which it has secured an option is for a depot site. In order to reach the property, the GT must build a bridge across the river at Tenth street, or use the Interurban electric railway bridge in the outskirts of the city on the south, and then come on Water street on which the MC now has a belt line. [PHDH-1901-0624]

1902. SNAPSHOT. The directors of this line were from Saginaw (3), Alma (2), and Toledo (2, including H. W. Ashley). Many officers by this time were from Montreal. There were six stockholders, five from Michigan. The road crossed the PM at grade at Maple Street, Saginaw, at South Saginaw, at Mershons (belt line), and in Saginaw east side north of the river bridge. The road crossed the MCR at Emerson Street north of the river bridge, at Saginaw west side, in West Bay City at Hall and Lafayette streets. 10 of these were interlocked using US&S patterns. The railroad crossed 96 highways at grade and 11 were equipped with gates or flagmen. One was automatic. The railroad has 21 stations, and employed 6 engineers and firemen, 4 conductors, 6 brakemen, 1 baggagemen, 29 laborers and 11 yardmen. The railroad had 6 locomotives, 1 8-wheel passenger car, 1 express and baggage car, 27 box freight cars, 38 platform cars and 1 conductor way-car. The also had 1 derrick and 4 boarding cars. Passenger cars were heated with steam from the locomotive. Top five categories of freight hauled by a percentage of tonnage carried: forest products (28%), coal (21%), stone, sand (10%), merchandise (7%) and hay (5%).

1911. October. The GT railway creates the Bay City Terminal railway company to span the Saginaw River in Bay City and to build passenger and freight terminals downtown. [DFP-1911-0605]

1912. May 6. Ammi W. Wright, former President of the CS&M dies at age 89. In addition founding the CS&M, he owned timber lands, saw mills, salt blocks and other properties in Michigan and Minnesota. He was one of the richest men in Michigan in his time. [SAG-1912-0509]

1919. March. Wellington R. Burt, the funder and promoter of the CS&M passed away. [DFP-1919-0316]