Station: Hemlock, MI

Hemlock was a sawmill community in western Saginaw County 25 miles west of downtown Saginaw. It was settled about 1865. [MPN] The village was located on the Saginaw Valley & St. Louis railroad (later PM).

According to the Saginaw Valley Railroad Museum, the depot was built in 1907. Passenger service to Hemlock was discontinued in 1946 though a freight agent worked in the depot until 1975.

Photo Info: Top, an early photo of the PM depot at Hemlock. [Alan Loftis collection]. 2nd photo, the depot which has been restored at the Saginaw Valley Railroad Museum. [Alan Loftis]; 3rd photo, a track diagram of Hemlock in 1957.

Notes 

Time Line

1902. F.T. Calvwell, the night operator for the PM road at Hemlock City, was attacked by a monster black bear in the depot at 2 o'clock this morning and injured in the struggle that followed in a most shocking manner. At that time, he was rudely awakened by something clawing at his body. He jumped up and confronted a full-grown bear, which immediately attacked him and before the frightened operator was hardly aware of what had happened, he was in the merciless embrace of a hungry, growing bruin. Calvwell fought, but as he was wholly unarmed, the bear clawed great gashes in his face, hands, chest and arms and he was soon covered with blood, furniture broken and telegraph apparatus ruined. After five minutes or more of fighting, Calvwell broke away and, though faint and weak from loss of blood, he jumped headfirst through the window above his desk, carrying sash and all with him and cutting himself in many places.

The bear remained in the office. Calvwell staggered over to the section hands' house, routed out the workmen and told his story. A shotgun was secured and Calvwell, accompanied by three section men, returned to the station, where they found the bear asleep on the counter where Calvwell had a short time before been napping. Through the open door where the bear had entered one of the men blazed away with both barrels at the bear, the shot killing the beast. To-day the bear was weighted and went over 500 pounds. Owing to the breaking of the telegraph instruments during the melee all trains on the Saginaw division of the Pere Marquette were held up for several hours.

As soon as possible the superintendent of the division was notified of the affair, and he replied: "It is dangerous to sleep on duty.". Calvwell is dangerously but not fatally injured. [DFP-1902-1220]

1907. The PM erected a new station at this location in 1907-08. [PMAR-1907]