Timetable: Pere Marquette - Harrison Branch - Clare to Harrison (and Merideth)

These were forest branch lines north of Clare in Clare County.

Key: C=Coal | CS=Car Shop | D=Open > Day | DN=Open Day and night | DS=Dispatcher | DT=Double Main Track | EH=Engine house | F=Diesel Fuel | HI=Half Interlocked Crossing | I=Interlocked Crossing | J=Junction | N=Open at night | P=Passing Track w/40' car capacity | Q=Quarry | RH=Roundhouse # stalls | RT=Railroad Resort | S=Scales | T=Turntable | TC=Telegraph call | W=Water | X=Crossing | Y=Wye | Yard=Yard

Notes

In 1898, this branch had one mixed train in each direction, daily except Sunday. Moore's Siding, Atwood's Siding and Mann's Siding were flag stations. The trains stopped at Hatton.

[REF] = F&PM 1898 employee timetable plus additions.

Photo info: Below, the schedule of the mixed train between Clare and Harrison. [Bob Warrick collection]

Time Line

1879. Construction begins on this line north from Clare to near Hatton. [MRL]

1880. Construction continues north to Harrison. [MRL]

1880. March. The iron gang on the Harrison branch of the F&PM struck work Tuesday noon. The cause of the complaint is a curious one as one of the boys expressed it, is "Pie, or Blood!". It appears that there has been dissatisfaction with the food all winter. The company uses what is called a boarding car, furnishing the raw material and hiring a cook to prepare the food, charging the men $3 per week for board. Up to this winter the food was of the very best quality, well prepared, and entirely satisfactory, consisting of fresh and corned beef, pork, eggs, bread, butter, potatoes, with desert daily, alternating between pie and bread pudding. The cook is a Frenchman called Louie Hardshell, and against him the entire wrath of the men was directed. They charged him with using impure water, making bad tea, and sour bread, cooking unhatched chickens and "snakey" pork, and making a mysterious bread pudding every day instead of pie every other day. 

That pudding, as described, is a marvel of cheapness, and all housewives should learn how to make it, which is as follows: Take all the pieces of bread left from meals, soak it in red river water, mix it with bare hands, sweeten with molasses, and bake. Serve hot for dinner, cold for supper, and remainder for breakfast.

The men make no complaint against the company. They are on good terms with the bosses, but hate French cooks. The matter will undoubtedly be amicably arranged. [DFP-1880-0320]

1880. June. During a severe storm last week, several trees were blown across a logging train on the Harrison branch in Clare County, breaking some half dozen cars. Also, a man was killed in the woods in the area by a tree falling on him. [LCS-1888-0617]

1880. The F&PM has contracts for hauling 90,000,000 feet of logs over the Harrison Branch the coming winter. [DFP-1880-1002]

1882. Eighteen cars of a log train were thrown down an embankment on the Harrison branch of the F&PM road today. The cars are a total wreck. Blame is said to rest upon the conductor, who was "skipped". [LCS-1882-0126]

1883. The line is extended to Meredith. [MRL] The F&PM noted that the Harrison Branch is laid with steel rails. [DFP-1883-0209]

1883. March. The Harrison branch is to be extended 19.5 miles beyond Harrison, connecting with the A.W. Wright Lumber Company's logging railroad. About 70 men are now at work on the road and as soon as the snow disappears the force will be increased to about 300. [DFP-1883-0316]

1883. May. Michael McCarty, a brakeman on the Harrison Branch, was badly injured in coupling log cars. He was caught between the logs which projected beyond the cars and his breast, and one shoulder was terribly crushed. He was brought down on the evening train and taken to St. Mary's Hospital (in Saginaw) where he now lies. The physician in charge expressed the opinion that he is fatally injured. [DFP-1883-0531]

1883. The A.W. Wright Lumber Company are extending their logging railroad in Roscommon County, seven miles to connect with the Harrison Branch extension of the F&PM road. [DFP-1883-0817]

1883. The Harrison Branch, 30 miles long, there are upwards of 30 miles of spurs, from 1/2 to six miles long. [DFP-1883-1025]

1883. December. Meredith is the present terminus of the Harrison branch of the F&PM. [DFP-1883-1201]

1883. December. Robert Jackson commenced work yesterday as a brakeman on the F&PM. He was struck today by a falling limb while standing on a flat car at Haley's camp on the Harrison Branch and instantly killed. He leaves a widow and child. [DFP-1883-1216] Ed. Note. Haley's camp not identified.

1884. There is speculation in the media that the F&PM will extend the Harrison branch on past Houghton Lake, northeast, on a direct line to Alpena.[ AAN-1884-0305] Ed. Note. This line was not built.

1885. May. Heavy fires are going on the Harrison branch in Clare County and a great deal of damage has been done to timber. [DFP-1885-0518]

1898. This line had one round trip mixed train daily except Sunday. [ETT-1898]

1891. The F&PM lets a contract to M. Lally of Detroit, for making the roadbed for eight miles, leaving the Harrison branch one mile north of Budd Lake, Clare County, and extending to the mills of Neff & Prestel and Wilson Brothers. Work will begin Monday. [DFP-1891-0904]. Ed. Note: This was likely the Leota Branch, which was 9.9 miles long and later abandoned about 1922. [MRL]

1891. The 11.5 mile branch off the Harrison Branch to Dodge is built. It is abandoned in 1901. [MRL]

1896. The branch is removed from Meredith to Frost. [MRL]

1914. Trains 2 and 5 on the Ludington division are discontinued, and the connecting trains on the Harrison branch are also discontinued. Train 605 will leave Clare at 12:20 pm and Train 606 will leave Harrison at 2:50 pm. [DFP-1914-0116]

1916. The branch is abandoned between Frost and near Harrison. [MRL]

1917. Service has been resumed on the Harrison branch to Leota by order of the state railroad commission. Several hundred cars of logs and forest products will be shipped out this winter. [YEX-1917-1206]

1922. The branch to Leota is abandoned. [MRL]

1923. March. Service on the Harrison branch of the PM was resumed Friday, a snow plow and two engines getting through for the first time in eight days. Ice over the rail in some places and snow to a depth of six to eight feet through the cuts made this one of the most serious tie-ups experienced on this branch in years. Drifts three and four feet deep still block the highways making any kind of traffic difficult. (Highway) trunk line 14 is "navigable" for only a short distance north of Clare. [LSJ-1923-0327]

1944. The branch is completely abandoned between Clare and Harrison. [MRL]