Station: Balsam, MI

Balsam was a railroad crossing about eight miles north of Crystal Falls and four miles southeast of Amasa. The C&NW Amasa branch was crossed by the Milwaukee Road O&B  branch here. (Channing to Sidnaw).

Notes

The C&NW was the first line through here in 1891. The MILW came through in 1893 and the crossing was created. A tower was constructed and the crossing was interlocked  

Time Line

1896. Three Polanders -- Joseph Denkensky, John Powlak and Frank Wachowsky -- all under the influence of liquor, laid down on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul track near Balsam last Sunday morning to sleep off their jag. In consequence of their indiscretion, Denkensky is dead, Powlak is so badly injured that his recovery is not expected, and Wachowsky will require medical attendance for some weeks.

The men were employed in one of the lumber camps in that neighborhood. They had spent the night in drinking, and were on their way to Amasa for another sup ply of liquor. They were struck by a special northbound freight train, which left here last Saturday night in charge of Conductor Beech.The accident occurred at about 7:30 o'clock in the morning, one mile from Balsam. The timber is very heavy at this point, and the weather being very foggy, made it impossible for Engineer Elliott [to] see any great distance in advance of his engine.

When the men were discovered asleep on the track it was too late to bring the train to a standstill, though running at a low rate of speed. Denkensky was the first man struck, and he was lying directly across the track. He was cut to pieces. Powlak was only partly on the track and he had both legs ground to a pulp. Wachowsky was lying near Powlak and when the cowcatcher struck Powlak he was thrown to one side and in this way escaped with but few bruises. The body of Denkensky and the injured men were taken to Amasa, where they were cared for at the expense of the railroad company. Denkensky and Powlak came from Stiles Junction and Wachowsky from Pulaski, Wisconsin. [RTR-1896-0111]

1921. December. Charles Uren has 38 men at his camp near Balsam. He intends to land his logs this year on the Amasa Porter spur of the St. Paul railroad. The entire output of more than a million feet will go to the Ford mill at Iron Mountain (Kingsford). [DD-1921-1203]