Marquette was settled about 1849 on Iron Bay by iron prospectors. It was originally called Worchester but renamed in 1850. The town became a village in 1859 and a city in 1871. [MPN]
Marquette was home to at least three railroads and a street car line. The Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic had its headquarters here, as did the Lake Superior & Ishpeming. The Marquette & Western was also located here but was folded into the South Shore shortly after construction.
Photo Info: Top, the DSS&A depot at Marquette in the early 1900's. 2nd image, DSS&A 108 pulls a passenger train at Superior and Front Streets in Marquette in the 1890's. 3rd image, the DSS&A freight house in Marquette south of Third Street in 1929. [Robert Platt photo]. 4th image, Front Street downtown with the electric interurban line operating in the middle of the street. This image was likely taken from the DSS&A trestle to their coal dock. [Library of Congress collection]. 5th image, a postcard of the Marquette & South Eastern railway (later LS&I) along the waterfront. This photo is probably taken from the DSS&A ore dock. [Alan Loftis collection]. 6th image, a "bird's eye" view of Marquette in a postcard view.
The last DSS&A passenger station was built in 1902 on Main Street. The station was completed on January 11th and replaced an earlier passenger station located a few blocks away. The new building was steam heated, had electric lights, and was provided with water and sewer connections. The two-story building was 105' long and 35' wide, constructed of Port Washington brown sandstone with cut stone trim and a gabled roof covered with slate. The first floor was one large waiting room with four entrances, two on the south and two on the north sides. A baggage room was on the west side and a ladies retiring room and toilet was on the east side. Upstairs were offices for the superintendent, train dispatcher and purchasing agent. Two rooms were set aside for the purchasing agent to live in. The building supported n 8' wide awning around its first floor circumference which protected passengers from inclement weather. [UPM]
The DSS&A Marquette shop complex was located at Spring Street and included two roundhouses and numerous other buildings. Most of these were torn down in the early 1960's. The roundhouse was a wood-framed structure containing fourteen stalls which were 80' deep, with an inside circumference of about 120' and an outside circumference of about 350'. There was an attached brick stall built in 1953 for diesel locomotives measuring 66' by 72'. A steel beam, center-mounted turntable 875 long rested on a concrete pit. [UPM]
M&SE Freight Station at Marquette. This freight station was built in 1900 at 205 N. Lake Street and remained in service until 1965 when the LS&I discontinued this form of service. It was a single-story frame structure, with a gabled room and eaves which overhang 8' and fitted with eight sliding doors, each 15.5' wide and 7.5' high. Overall, the building is 40' wide, 128' long and 12' high. [UPM]
M&SE Depot at Marquette. This building was constructed on South Lake Street by the Lake Shore Engineering Company in 1874 with an addition added in 1886. It was originally used to manufacture mining machinery until 1907 when they moved out and the M&SE acquired the property converting it into a passenger station and general offices. This two-story brick building had two wings, one measuring 46' by 338' and the other 46' by 104'. [UPM]
Photo Info: The DSS&A shops at Marquette in 1904 from Sanborn Insurance Map drawings. [LOC]
1860. A new 26'x36' passenger depot is established by the BDN&M at Baraga and Front Streets in Marquette. [DSS]
1868. June 11. A horrific fire destroys the M&O shops at Front and Main streets in Marquette, including machine shops, blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, pattern room, gas house, tank house and office. The fire then leapt across Front street and to the center of town and largely destroyed the business district. The blaze also destroyed the M&O railroad dock, the Lake Superior (mine) dock and the Jackson (mine) dock. All but the last 200’ of the M&O dock was destroyed. The only dock left standing was the Cleveland (mine) dock. The M&O suffered a $200,000 loss from the fire. [DSD]
1902. DSS&A builds a new passenger station at Marquette. The second floor is used for company offices. [MCR-1902]
1904. The Marquette DSS&A station is a modification of a general plan, which is also used at Sault Ste. Marie and Houghton. The station is a two-story building, 105' x 35', and is built of brown sandstone from quarries at Fort Wing, WI. It was opened to the public December 23, 1901. It stands back a short distance from Marquette's main street, from which it is separated by a greensward maintained by the company. The first floor is devoted to waiting room, ticket office, toilet rooms and baggage room, and the second floor is used for offices.
The main portion of the first floor is included in the general waiting room, which is 68' long, with ladies' retiring rooms at the extreme east. It is finished in red birch and the walls and ceiling are finished in green with wainscoting of lincrusta walton in red. The ceiling is beamed with red birch with electric lights at the intersections, and the ladies rooms are similarly finished.
On the south side of the waiting room is the ticket office and on the west side is the men's toilet; also an opening into the baggage and parcel room. West of the waiting room are stairways to the second floor from both the north and south side of the building with exterior entrances. The extreme west of the building is used ass a baggage room.
The building is heated by steam, from a plant in the basement, which also furnishes steam for the coach yard to the south of the depot. There is a platform about the entire building, which is protected by a veranda supported by brackets, on each of which there is an electric light. In internal appearance the building is plain, though there is an immediate impression of utility and convenience in design and arrangement.
The building is furnished with customary settees, with rocking chairs provided in the ladies room. All floors are hardwood; in fact, all materials used and the workmanship have been the very best. There is nothing unusual or gaudy in either the architecture of the interior finished and therefore nothing to offend the taste of any class of people. [RRG-1904-1125]
1911. Fred E. Miller., was a former fireman on the Soo Line railroad and died at Gray's Lake, IL last May. It was in the course of negotiations for a settlement because of Miller's death that it was learned that the deceased had two wives, one in Marquette (his legal wife) and another in Fond du Lac, WI. The railroad determined that his first wife is the deceased's lawful wife and have made a settlement with her. [SJDP-1911-0815]
1918. The DSS&A had an operator at this location during the day. This was noted as being the "G" office. [TRT]
1963. Construction of a $350,000 railroad overpass, necessitated by the route relocation of US-41 and M-28 through Marquette was completed and immediately opened. The contract for the overpass was let by the state highway department to E.C. Nolan, K.C. Marks and Argersinger-Morse, all of Detroit. Work began last fall. While the overpass was constructed, rail traffic used a temporary structure adjacent to the bridge. The overpass carried the Soo Line railroad tracks over the highways on the outskirts of the southern edge of the city. The 4-lane bypass, which will remove traffic from downtown Marquette, cost $1 million and will be opened later this year. [EDP-1963-1023]
The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:
