Time Line - 1915

Last Year | Next Year

• World War I continues.

• January 1: The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and the Michigan Central are merged into the New York Central System. [MDOT][MT]

• February 4. The Detroit Board of Commerce reports exports from the Port of Detroit for 2014. Of note, the city exported 19,432 horses at a value of $30,071,000, many to Europe for the war. Other export categories were brass and copper, breadstuffs, automobiles and parts (at $6M and down from 1913), wagons, coal and coke, cotton products, eggs, fruit (from California) and cars for steam railways (at $460,767 less than 1/5 of the amount in 1913). [DBOC/2-4-1915]

• February 8. The Detroit Board of Commerce calls on the city not to condemn properties in front of the Michigan Central station. The city went ahead and Roosevelt park was created. The Board cited the $1 million cost, and the fact that it was surrounded by railroads (so no one would use it). [DBOC-2/8/1915]

• May 15: The Delray Connecting Railroad receives trackage rights on 10 miles of DT&I track, from Detroit to the Solvay quarry at Sibley. [EMR4]

• April: A DT&I collission in Detroit with a trolley car kills 15. (Jefferson Avenue). NYT-1919-0415]

• May 17: Michigan Railway traction line is completed from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids. [IC-12/79]

• December 15: Toledo-Detroit Railroad completes line from Toledo to Dundee (later DT&I). [MRRC]

• December: The Detroit Terminal railroad completes a new 100 ton coaling tower at Davison Yard. [RR-1916-0101]

• Decenber: The D&M changes their Au Sable division to standard gauge from narrow gauge. [RR-1916-0101]

  ---

• Pere Marquette abandons line from Stratford to Spencer, 15 miles. [COHS-8/1997]

• MCRR continues to maintain a greenhouse just west of the Ypsilanti depot to raise cut flowers that were used in the dining cards on the MCRR system and depots in Detroit.  The new Michigan Central depot had recently opened, and its dining rooms and restaurants were the height of elegance at the time. [IT-12/1974]

• The E&LS builds a short branch line north off the main line at Hendricks. [EDP-12/27/1950]

• The Iron River, Stambaugh and Crystal Falls Street Ry. extends its lines to the Village of Gaastra in Iron County. [ICHS]

• Grand Trunk builds new depots at Ovid and Owosso.  Depots continue to exist as of 1974. [IT-12/1974]

• The main line of the Michigan Central Railroad operated thirteen regular trains weekdays between Detroit and Chicago each way. One additional train ran between Detroit and Kalamazoo, two others between Kalamazoo and Chicago, and two more between Detroit and Ypsilanti. The fastest running time between Detroit and Chicago was 6 hours and 21 minutes. [AAD]

• The Copper Range builds new stations  at Painesdale and Hubbell. [CRH]

• The Hartwick Lumber Company offers land for sale in the Milwaukee Junctions Manufacturers subdivision as industrial properties. They cite direct street car services, paved streets, utilities, proximity to the GTW and MC railroads, a GTW station "within a block", excellent fire protection, and the proximity of 67 other firms in the area employing 43,000 men. [DBOC-2/8/1915]

• Four passenger trains ran north from Detroit to Bay City, with three continuing on to Gaylord.  Two trains ran all the way to Mackinaw City. [AAD]

• Soo Line removes its engine house at Ironwood. [SOO-W/1996]

• Twenty-five (25) trains per day served the town of Alma. [AAD]

• Henry Ford acquires a 2,000-acre site in Fordson (now Dearborn) for the Ford Motor Company Rouge complex.  It is conceived as a self-sufficient industrial city.  It had not only adequate rail service, but the potential for a harbor as well. [BOM]

• Position light signals are installed on the Pennsylvania Railroad. [SAM]

• The Michigan Central Railroad receives a new wrecking crane which is built to operate either by steam or electricity. It is for use in or adjacent to the Detroit River tunnel. Electricity for the crane is provided by the third rail or from a flexible cable. The unit can also operate under steam power, provided by a separate locomotive. The unit is 120 ton. [RA-1/4/1918]

 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