Station: Richmond, MI (Ridgeway)

Richmond, in Macomb County, was settled about 1837. The town became a village in 1879. The town was formally known as Ridgeway.  [MPN]

Richmond is located on the Grand Trunk Western (now CN) Detroit to Port Huron line, about six miles northeast of New Haven. Richmond was also a junction point for the GTW Air Line between Richmond and Pontiac.

Photo Info: Top, the GTW depot at Richmond, taken in the 1970's. [Jim Slater]. 2nd photo, a view of the depot with a freight train in the siding and a "doodlebug" passenger train in front. [CMUL]. 3rd photo, a GTW locomotive (913 or 313) with crew at Lenox (Richmond) MI. [T.J.Gaffney collection]. 4th and 5th photos, the inside of the depot in 2003. [Alan Loftis]

Notes

Time Line

1883. The Grand Trunk is now running trains over the Michigan Air Line from Ridgeway [Richmond] via Pontiac and South Lyon to Pinckney. On December 24 the line will be completed and opened for traffic to Jackson. Two trains each way will be run daily between Ridgeway and Jackson. A passenger train will leave Ridgeway at 8:10 am arriving at Jackson at 1:20 pm. and will leave Jackson at 6:30 pm arriving at Ridgeway at 11:10 pm. A mixed train will leave Ridgeway at 9:40 am arriving at Jackson at 6:15 pm and will leave Jackson at 8:00 am arriving at Ridgeway at 3:30 pm. A local passenger train will leave South Lyon at 5:20 am and arrive at Ridgeway at 8:00 am and returning will leave Ridgeway at 5:35 pm arriving at South Lyon at 8:10 pm. [PHTH-1883-1220]

February 21, 1893. Last evening a snowplow, which was being run over the Michigan Air Line division of the Grand Trunk Railway, was derailed when about three miles west of this village (Richmond). The snowplow and locomotive were considerably damaged, and two men who were riding in the plow were slightly injured, while the engineer and fireman escaped injury. Employees of the railroad company claim that the accident was caused by the wind, which was blowing a gale, and an unusually large snow drift. The engine did not leave the track. The broken plow and engine were sent to Fort Gratiot for repairs. [DFP-1893/0221]

1917. The GTW had an agent here as well as operators around the clock. [TRT]