Station: Delray, MI

The Delray area was settled about 1836 in southern part of Springwells Township, along Fort Street and Dearborn Avenue. It was originally called Belgrade, and Del Ray, but renamed to Delray in 1851. The town was incorporated as a village in 1897 and then annexed by the City of Detroit in 1906. [MPN]

Delray was a crossing junction of multiple railroads:

• Lake Shore & Michigan Southern (later NYC, PC, Conrail, NS)
• Michigan Central (later NYC, PC, Conrail, NS)
• Wabash (later NW, NS)
• Detroit, Lansing & Northern (later PM, C&O, CSX)
• Union Belt Railroad of Detroit (owned by PM, PRR, Wabash)
• Delray Connecting Railroad
• Various interurban and streetcar routes

Image Info: Top, a southbound NYC passenger train proceeds through the interlocker at Delray tower. Late 1930's. [Robert Hadley photo]. 2nd image, D&TSL train 25, comes off the Wabash old main line at Delray in 1940. It will continue on the Wabash to its own line at Victoria Junction. [William J. Miller photo, Charles Geletzke Jr. collection].

Notes

The Wabash had a major roundhouse located here, as is the Detroit Union Produce Terminal.

See also: Delray Tower.

Time Line

1892. December 2. Ground was broken yesterday at the junction of the F&PM and Wabash railways (near Delray Junction) for the erection of passenger and freight depots at that point to be used in conjunction by the F&PM, the Wabash and the Michigan Central railroad companies. The building will be pushed to completion as fast as possible. The passenger depot will be 40 x 150 feet. [DFP-1892-1202]