Chesaning in 1877, Part 6: Railroad

The first railroad ever built in Michigan started service all the way back in 1830, but rail service did not reach Mid-Michigan until 1860, when a line was completed to carry traffic from Lansing to Owosso.

1865 saw the creation of the Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw Railroad Company, which planned on extending service north from Owosso, all the way to Saginaw and Bay City. The new line was to follow a direct route from Owosso to St. Charles, meaning that it would run several miles to the west of Chesaning.

One of Chesaning’s founding fathers, George Chapman (1812-1881), was a former railroad man himself, and knew how detrimental it would be to have the new line bypass the village at such a distance.

Using some of his personal connections, and offering an $18,000 “bonus” raised from local businesses, he was able to convince the company to build the line through some empty fields just six blocks west of the village.

Construction of the line commenced in late 1866, and the first train arrived amidst an elaborate opening ceremony in September of 1867.

Lumber Office
Elevator
Saloon
Lumber Office
Train Depot

The first building that is associated with the rail stop at Chesaning is the lumber office (1) of Nason, Gould & Company. This was a lumber firm consisting of Robert Nason (1832-1907), David Gould (1826-1884), and Edwin Todd (1826-1908).

Robert Nason was one of Chesaning’s wealthiest and most prominent citizens, while Gould and Todd were based out of Owosso.

The firm had been in operation for several years by this point, and owned 20,000 acres of land as well as a steam powered sawmill in Albee Township.

The elevator (2) was the first ever constructed in the village, and was operated by the firm of Gould & Oliver.

Messrs. Gould & Oliver are arranging cribs, which they intend filling with corn. Therefore farmers need to look no farther for purchasers.

The Chesaning Argus, October 31, 1877.

These were Philetus Gould (1814-1899) and his son-in-law Edward Oliver, and they also owned a dry goods and grocery store at the intersection of Broad and Front Streets.

The owner of the saloon (3) is not identified on the 1877 map of Chesaning. It may have belonged to Amasa Christian (1854-1915), who is described as a saloonkeeper in the 1877 Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory.

Next door is the lumber office (4) of John Combs, who also owned a sawmill in Albee Township.

The train depot (5) that appears here is the original structure built for the railroad, and served both passenger and freight traffic. It was simple and utilitarian in both design and construction, and village leaders spent years trying to get it replaced with a more impressive structure.

Traveling north along the tracks, we come to our final landmark.

Sawmill

This sawmill (1) belongs to Goodale, Campbell & Co. The firm consisted of J. J. Campbell and partner, James Goodale (1832-1908), who also owned a general store in town.

The stave factory carried on by J. J. Campbell is one of the most important industries of the village. In this establishment are employed 42 men and boys. The motive power is a 35- horse-power engine; the factory has a capacity for making 3,000,000 staves and 10,000 barrel headings per annum.

History of Saginaw County, Michigan, Chas. C. Chapman & Co., pg. 805.

The mill was a stave and heading factory, meaning that it converted lumber into parts used in making barrels. Barrels were of great importance during this period as they were the primary means of storing and transporting goods before the introduction of modern containers made of metal and plastic.

The Chesaning Argonaut

Chesaning in 1877, Part 6: Railroad

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