Station: Roscommon, MI

Roscommon was founded about 1845. It has been the county seat of Roscommon County since 1875 and became incorporated as a village in 1882. [MPN]

Roscommon was located on the Mackinaw Branch of the Michigan Central railroad. The town is about 20 miles southeast of Grayling by railroad mileage.

Photo Info: Top, the MC depot in Roscommon in a railroad valuation photo around 1920. [CMUL], 2nd photo, a MC passenger train takes on passengers in Roscommon. This is not likely the depot but another building near the rails. [Alan Loftis collection] 3rd photo, the MC depot in 1935. Note that the street crossing has automatic protection by this time. [Charles Milliken photo, Doug Leffler collection]

Notes

Time Line

1873. Roscommon station is situated on the JL&S railroad. The village is situated on each side of the railroad on a high ridge, said to be over 600 feet above Saginaw Bay. The station was completed last fall; is furnished with a fine modern depot and freight house combined; and is also used for an express office. There is a line of telegraph completed to this point, and two regular passenger train arrive and depart daily. There is one general country store in the place, kept by Bennett Bros., and two or three boarding houses kept for the accommodation of railroad labors, etc. There is no schoolhouse here as yet; but I am informed that a district is fully organized and a house will be built this fall.

The county is organized and attached to the county of Midland. A branch of the River Au Sable runs along the railroad for several miles. There is a steam saw mill in course of erection about one mile from the village. [JCP-1873-0820]

1874. December. Bennet Bros. store at Roscommon on the JL&S burned down yesterday morning, together with its contents and entire stock of goods. [JCP-1874-1222]

1879. The JL&S shipped 317 deer between the 1st and 15th of December from here. One group of hunters from Battle Creek took back 69 deer. One family, four miles from here, killed 31 during the season. [DFP-1879-0122]

1917. The MC had a agent/operator here around the clock. [TRT]

Industry

• S. G. M. Gates Shingle mill - (xxxx ← 1906 → xxxx)