Station: Merriman, MI

Merriman was a location on the Milwaukee Road line from Iron Mountain to Channing in Dickenson County, settled in about 1894. It was located about six miles north of Antoine.

Notes

There was a 2,750 foot passing siding at Merriman. It is visible on Google Maps though the siding is truncated at Merriman Road.

Time Line

1898. January. Runaway Horse with a Cutter struck by a St. Paul passenger train, hurled fifty feet in the air. The regular south bound passenger train on the C.M. & St. Paul road Sunday night pulled into Iron Mountain fifteen minutes behind schedule time. The delay was caused by an accident that occurred seven miles north of this city near Merriman, in which a valuable driving horse was killed outright and a handsome cutter completely demolished. The horse and cutter was [sic] the property of Captain "Jack" Crego, of the Chapin Location.

About 7 o'clock Mr. Crego ordered his rig from the stable for the purpose of enjoying a sleigh ride with some members of his family. The horse has been driven but little of late, and was "feeling his oats." The rig was standing in front of Mr. Crego's residence for a moment and suddenly broke away dashing down the avenue in the direction of the railroad tracks. The horse took the Florence road and was soon out of sight of his pursuers.

After reaching a point a few miles north of the location, the runaway horse took the main track on the St. Paul road and continued his mad run in the direction of Merriman. When a short distance this side of that station the rig was struck by the incoming passenger train. A bend in the road at that point prevented the engineer from seeing the dark object in front of him until too late to reverse the engine. The train was making up lost time and when the clash occurred was pounding along the rails at full speed. So was the horse.

The animal, with the cutter attached, was hurled fifty feet in the air and was found about forty feet from the track. The train was brought to a stop and the trainmen hurried back to the scene of the accident. The horse was found mangled and dead and the cutter completely demolished. No trace could be found of an occupant of the rig and some time was spent in searching for the driver, but in vain.

When the train reached this city the facts were reported to Agent Clifford, who ordered an investigation. The report of the accident spread rapidly over the city, and the belief that a man had been killed caused considerable consternation. Mr. Crego valued the dead animal at $100 and the cutter at $55. He will not be able to recover from the company. [IMP-1898-0113]