Station: Frederic, MI

Frederic, in northern Crawford County, was settled about 1874 as a wood stop on the Michigan Central railroad. It was originally called Forest, then changed to Fredericville and then Frederick in 1886. [MPN]

Frederic was a station stop on the Michigan Central. The Detroit & Charlevoix branched off the MC here in 1901 and later became MC branch line. [MRL]

Photo Info: The Frederic depot and surrounding area in 1910.

Notes

Today, the Lake State Railway has a siding two miles north of Frederic. This was formally at milepost 103 (from Bay City). The siding is used to store empty cars needed for customers in Gaylord. The siding is approximately 1,400 feet long (28 50' car lengths).

Time Line

1873. The railroad comes through here from Grayling.

1886. The name of the Fredericville post office has been changed to Frederic, to correspond with that of the railroad station. [SAG-1886-0819]

1894. November. The MC will lay two miles of rail on the old Frederic branch for H.C. Ward who is now erecting Camp and expects to cut 10,000 cords of 4 feet wood for Detroit parties this winter. [CCA-1894-1101]

1894. November. Wanted-500 men and sufficient teams immediately to cut and deliver 15,000 cords of four foot wood at Frederic station. Wood cut and delivered by the cord. Haul from a half mile to a mile. All down grade. Apply to H.C. Ward at Frederic. [CCA-1894-1129]

1901. The Detroit & Charlevoix is built northwest to East Jordan from here. It becomes a MC branch in 1907.

1901. September 11. The first train on the Detroit & Charlevoix railroad was run from East Jordan to Frederic, a station on the MC. The railroad is controlled by the estate of David Ward and is the natural outlet for a vast timber tract in this vicinity. [GRP-1901-0911]

1902. The D&C has an agreement with the Michigan Central to use their station at Frederic. [MCR-1902]

1905. September 8. Fred Bissette, a D&C brakeman was seriously injured by falling between cars near Deward. One leg was crushed above the knee, besides internal injuries which may prove fatal. He was taken to St. Mary's hospital, Saginaw, on the midnight train. [PHDH-1905-0908]

1912. August. The perennial feud between residents of Grayling and Frederic is blazing with usual vigor. The ill-feeling wakens with the ripening of the first raspberry and lasts until the crop vanishes. There are few raspberries in Grayling, while Frederic boasts tons of the fruit. Every northbound MC train brings scores of Grayling people to the berry patches and the residents of Frederic do not like it. 

It is said that the Fredericites stand at the station and hurl unkind remarks at their guests; that small boys throw dirt and stones in the filled pails when pickers return; and that many berries are stolen. Grayling people resent keenly the inhospitality of their neighbors, declaring that there are miles and miles of laden berry bushes, more than Frederic folk could possibly harvest if they turned out en masse and worked from daylight to dark. Countless bushes go to waste.

Partially as a result of the protests, the Frederic station is kept open and lighted until the evening train south. In the past, the building was dark when it was unlocked and many unkind pranks were played under the cover of the gloom. [JCP-1912-0813]

1917. Freight wreck (see story below)

1917. The MC had a day operator here. [TRT]

1932. The former D&C branch line is abandoned.

Michigan Central 1917 wreck

(From the Otsego Herald and Times, October 19, 1917).

Fourteen Cars Piled In A Heap

Took About 24 Hours to Clear Tracks and Get Traffic Moving Regularly

One of the worst freight wrecks which the Michigan Central has experience on its Mackinaw Division in a number of years took place at the long curve just north of Frederic on Tuesday morning of this week causing a blockage of the tracks for about 24 hours and not only causing a large property loss in the destruction of freight and cars, but also a serious delay to passenger and freight traffic on the road.

There were fourteen cars piled up in a promiscuous heap, and the contents of these cars intermixed with the wreckage of cars, making a tangled mess which was not easy to clean up. What make it all the worse was that in the wrecked cards there were three carloads of logs, which with the miscellaneous freight that was contained in the other cars, make a pile which required patience to clear the way.

Fortunately no one was injured and the only damage was to the freight cars and track.

The accident took place during Tuesday forenoon and was caused by some of the under parts of the cars giving way, a rid it is said, dropping down and causing the derailment car which the consequent wrecking of the others.

The Cannon Ball south on Tuesday went as far as the wreck and then returned to this place where it remained until late in the afternoon, then proceeding to Mackinaw. The 1:37 south went as far as the wreck where the mail and baggage and passengers were transferred to the northbound train and the two trains were turned around and crews interchanged and sent back over the sections they had come. The midnight Tuesday night left here southbound about 4:00 a.m. Wednesday going as far as Waters where it remained until there was an opening made in the debris and the tracks repaired, which was well toward 10 o'clock in the forenoon of Wednesday. The morning train north of Wednesday passed through here about 11 o'clock and about that time regular traffic was resumed over the line.