Time Line - 1900's - Overview

Last Year | Next Year

• Early 1900s:  The Copper Range builds the Painesdale Branch from Painsdale Jct. (one mile south of the Atlantic Mine station) to Champion Mine, a length of 4.38 miles. The line passes through the Baltic Mine, Tri-Mountain Mine, and the Champion Mine. [CRH]

• Early 1900s:  COPR begins transporting students to school for the Adams Township school district between Atlantic and Painesdale and intermediate points. The service continued in some capacity until the 1940’s. [CRH]

• Early 1900s:  COPR builds a park at Freda, home of the Champion Mill. This was one of the range’s favorite parks. Special trains were operated to the park on Sundays from the region. [CRH]

• Mid-1900s: Railroads begin to question the profitability of operating cheap special excursion trains and begin to cut back. The Pere Marquette runs its last excursion train in 1908. [I&L]

• After control of the Lowell & Hastings passed to the Pere Marquette, the PM removed the diamond at Lowell and began upgrading the line for use as a major branch line between Elmdale and Saginaw.  The track from Elmdale south to Freeport was downgraded to a minor branch line.  A new connection was built on the north side of the Elmdale depot between the branch and the main line.  [L&H]

 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