Station: Pere Cheney, MI

Pere Cheney, in Crawford County, was an old Indian village. It was settled with a saw mill around 1874 when the railroad arrived. The village was also called Center Plains. [MPN] In 1897, the railroad called this location Cheney.

Notes

G. M. "Papa" Cheney built the first saw mill in town and began lumbering operations. When Crawford County was first organized, Pere Cheney was the original county seat. It was changed shortly thereafter to Grayling. The town, which was located about seven miles southeast of Grayling, had a hotel, general store, three sawmills, a railroad depot, a school and a post office which operated until 1911. The town was pretty much abandoned by 1918. [GTM2] 

Time Line

1881. D.E. Connere of Dowagiac, has been appointed station agent and telegraph operator at Cheney on the Mackinaw division of the MC railroad. [NREP-1881-0310]