Time Line - 1868

Last Year | Next Year

• STATISTIC: Miles of railroads in operations this year: 1,299.  Miles built this year 36. [MRC/72]

• January 16: A refrigerator car is patented by William Davis, a Detroit fish dealer. [MT]

• February 28: Canada Southern Railway incorporated in the Dominion of Canada. [MDY33]

• June: The Grand Trunk Railway of Canada operates passenger trains between Toronto and Detroit, crossing the border at Port Huron, then down what is now known as the Mt. Clemens subdivision to Milwaukee Jct. The road stopped at the depot at Milwaukee Junction, and then went on to the MCRR Third Street station via Grand Trunk Junction (now West Detroit). [CRP1]

• June, 1868: The Official Guide to the railways begins publication, under the name "Travelers Official Railway Guide of the United States and Canada".

• June 11. The shop facilities of the M&O at Marquette are destroyed by fire. The fire crossed the street and largely destroyed the business district in Marquette. The M&O railroad dock, Lake Superior dock and Jackson dock were also destroyed. The last 200 feet of the M&O dock survived. Only the Cleveland dock at Superior Street survived intact. [DSS]

• July 4: Grand River Valley Railroad opens line from Rives Jct. (north of Jackson) to Eaton Rapids. [MCR-75/MRRC]

• Autumn: The Grand River Valley extends its line from Eaton Rapids to Charlotte. [MCR-75]

• October 26: The Flint & Pere Marquette open their line from Midland to Averill's. [MCR-75]

• October: The Hecla & Torch Lake complete their line from Hecla to Torch Lake Incline. [MCR-75]

• November 23: The Kalamazoo, Allegan & Grand Rapids Railroad reaches Allegan from Kalamazoo. [MCR-75]

• December: The Ionia & Lansing Railroad reaches an agreement with the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw reach an agreement which allows the I&L to use JL&S track between Michigan Avenue and Franklin Street, in Lansing. The agreement also allowed the I&L to rent JL&S depots at North Lansing and Middletown (near Michigan Avenue). [I&L]

• E. P. Campbell and Co. builds 1 mile mile railway from mill to dock in Alpena. [MRRC]

• The Flint & Pere Marquette opens their line from Midland to Averill.  [PM45]

• William Davis, of Detroit, receives patent for an "icebox on wheels", a refrigerator car he uses to ship fruit and fish by rail. [DWS]

• Eli H. Janney receives patent for the automatic railcar coupler, which begins to replace the dangerous link-and-pin coupler. [STOV]

• The Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana begins using the "Baker patent car warmer" which circulated salted water through pipes underneath coach seats. [AAD]

• Railway conductors organize into a national union. [STOV]

• Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee (GTW) builds depot in Grand Haven. Depot continues to exist as of 1974. [IT-12/1974]

• SNAPSHOT: The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern runs four round trip passenger trains between Toledo and Chicago, two via the Old Road and two via their line through Bryon, Indiana, They also operate four round trip passenger trains between Detroit and Toledo. Two round trips between Monroe and Adrian and two between Lenawee Junction and Jackson. [OG-1868]

• The Flint & Pere Marquette begin running into Detroit via trackage rights on the Grand Trunk between Holly and downtown. This lasted until 1872 when the F&PM began using the MCRR between Wayne Jct. and downtown. [PM45]

• The Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee builds a new depot in Ionia to replace an older 1857 version.The new depot is built just west of the Detroit, Lansing & Lake Michigan crossing diamond. [I&L]

• The Robinson, Russell & Company, a freight car manufacturer founded in 1854, is merged into the Detroit Car & Manufacturing company.  Their works are located at the foot of Beaubien Street. [HWC] 

• SNAPSHOT: The Flint & Pere Marquette runs three round trip trains between Detroit and Bay City. Two trains continue north to Midland. [OG-1868]

• SNAPSHOT: The Chicago & North Western operates one round trip per day between Escanaba and Negaunee with connections to Marqette via the MH&O. The line is not yet connected to Green Bay. [OG-1868]

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