Station: Pontiac, MI

Pontiac was settled about 1818 by the Pontiac Company. It became a village in 1837 and a city in 1861. [MPN]

Pontiac is the county seat of Oakland County, and it received early rail service from the Detroit and Pontiac railway. It became a major industrial area in the later half of the 1800's.

In addition to the Detroit & Milwaukee railroad (later GTW/CN) which came through here on its line from Detroit to Grand Haven, a number of branch lines terminated here heading to Jackson, Caseville and Richmond. A belt line railroad was also built on the northeast side of the city connecting all of these lines. The town was also served for a period by electric interurban lines which spanned out to Farmington and Detroit as well as city lines in downtown Pontiac.

Image Info: Top and 2nd photo, the Grand Trunk Western (later SEMTA) depot at Pontiac. [Alan Loftis collection]. 3rd image, a view of a passenger train loading at the Pontiac depot, about 1908. [UML]. 4th image, an eastbound GTW Train 450 (from Muskegon) sets off in Pontiac at Johnson Avenue, April 12. 1969. [Charlie Whipp photo].

Notes

Time Line

1861. June. Experiments are being made at Pontiac by the D&M railroad with a view of introducing gas for illuminating purposes on the cars of the night trains on that road. [DFP-1861-0619]

1864. October 18. About 5 am a passenger coach attached to the through D&M freight from Grand Haven to Detroit was run into by an engine which was being flagged through. The accident occurred at the Pontiac depot which the freight train was lying there. A passenger who happened to be looking out the window saw the engine coming and gave the alarm. The rest of the passengers crowded towards the forward part of the car just in time. The whole rear portion of the car was destroyed and set on fire, which was extinguished. The passengers were frightened but not hurt. The engine was stripped of her upper rigging including smoke stack which was completely torn away. The damage was remedied and the train resumed its journey. [DFP-1864-1018]

1871. August. A Presbyterian excursion from Pontiac to Detroit last week filled 13 cars of the D&M railroad. [LSJ-1871-0817]

1917. The GTW had an operator around the clock here. [TRT]

1920. GT Western Lines places an order with the General Railway Signal Company for a Model 2 unit lever type electric interlocking machine, including 7 upper quadrant one-arm electric lighted solenoid dwarf signals, clockwork time releases, relays, model 4A switch machines, transformers, lightning arresters, insulated from rods, trunking and capping, high 2-arm upper quadrant signals and switch adjustments. This interlocking machine will have 22-working levers and 14-spare spaces and is being installed by the railroad company's forces at Pontiac (specific location not known). [RSE-2023-0627]