Time Line - 1850

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• STATISTIC: Miles of railroads in operations in Michigan this year: 342.  [MRC/72]

• September: The Michigan Southern Railroad reaches Jonesville from Hillsdale. [MCR-75]

• Autumn: The Michigan Central Railroad reaches Michigan City from New Buffalo. [MCR-75]

• November: The Michigan Central Railroad freight house on the Detroit River is burned in an arson perpetrated by Grass Lake farmers in retribution for the railroad's failure to compensate them for livestock which have been killed by passing trains.  [AAD]

• December 10: The Michigan Southern Railroad reaches Coldwater, from Jonesville. [MCR-75/AAD]

• Michigan Railroad Mileage Totaled 380 miles - 12/31/1850 - [MDOT]

• Passenger cars are constructed of wood, about 50' in length, 9' wide, and carried 50-60 passengers. Cars are illuminated by candles and had toilets and drinking water at one end. Heat provided by a wood or coal stove.  [STOV]

• The MCRR's wooden Ypsilanti depot is razed, and replaced by its current brick structure. [IT-4/1975]

• The GTW builds a Romanesque depot in Port Huron. The depot, which is situated near the Bluewater Bridge, was used by Tom Edison to board trains for the purpose of selling newspapers. The depot continues to exist as of 1999. [MRP-Vol I]

• The Michigan Central builds a large freight house along the Detroit River. [AAD]

• Nationally, there are 9,021 miles of railroad track. [STOV]

• The American Express Company is formed by the merger of the Wells, Livingston, Fargo and Butterfield Express companies.  [SAM]

Time line Key:

• Railroad event in Michigan
• Event relating to mining
• Event related to car ferries
• Event outside of Michigan
• Improvement in Technology
• Railroad built or extended
• Railroad abandoned and/or removed
• Economic panic or depression