Station: West Bay City, MI

West Bay City was a combination of small communities which were consolidated into West Bay City on the west bank of the Saginaw River. The area ultimately was annexed into Bay City proper. The Michigan Central had a passenger station here, near a wye branching off southeast across the river to the other MC Bay City station, known as "Bay City East Side".

Bay City west side had freight yards as well as a major roundhouse. You can still visualize the footings of this roundhouse on the west side of the current railroad track using Google Maps.

Photo Info: The MC depot at Bay City west side in the 1910's. 

Notes

Time Line

1870. Five hundred tons of railroad iron arrived at Wenona (West Bay City) for the extension of the J&LS road north of that place. [LSJ-1870-0804]

1889. The CS&M installs a 60' turntable at West Bay City. This is a deck girder turntable made by the D.B. & Iron Works. [GTBB]

1889. November. Negotiations for the building of a union depot in West Bay City between the TS&M and the BC&BC railroads have fallen through. The former company has broken ground for their structure, to be finished in a month. [CNO-1889-1120]

1903. September 13. Two rail workers are killed and eight are injured by a dynamite explosion in a freight car during switching. [DFP-1903-0914]

1891. A locomotive on the Michigan Central going around a curve of West Bay City tipped into a ditch on account of the curve being too short. No one was hurt. The main track was built around the engine and in four hours traffic was resumed. [LDP-1891-1231]

1892. November 4. An open switch partially derailed a freight train on the CS&M at 7 o'clock last night. The cars were loaded with salt which was scattered all over the track. It took 3 hours to clear up the debris. No one was injured. [SCH-1892-1110]

1899. December. The CS&M railroad train on the west side of the river this morning the game warden seized 2,500 pounds of undersized pickerel  just as they were about to leave for New York. The fish were shipped by the men who caught them and not by any of the local dealers. State Game Warden Morse will institute criminal proceedings against the guilty parties. [DFP-1899-1219]

1907. L. S. Mason, a switchman in the MC yards, slipped while attempting to board the front end of a switch engine this evening and was caught under the wheels. One leg was cut off between the knee and ankle, and the other badly mangled. He was also injured about the body. Chances for recovery are said to be about even. He came to Bay City only two days ago from Chesaning, where he has a wife and family. [DFP-1907-0414]

Industry

• W.D. Young Company - (xxxx ← 1906 → xxxx) - Manufacturer of  maple flooing. [AML-1/6/1906]