ANN ARBOR R. B. CO. VS. C. L. GLASGOW ET AL.
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Q. Have you familiarized yourself with the railroad of the Ann Arbor Company so that you are in position to give us briefly a history of the construction of the separate parts thereof and the prior ownership of such road antecedent to the organization of the Ann Arbor Company — yes or no?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Will you please do so.
A. The parent company of the Ann Arbor Railroad was known as the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northern Railroad Company organized October 22, 1869, to build a line of railroad from Ann Arbor, Michigan to the Ohio state line. The grading was commenced in March, 1872. About 38 miles of right of way had been secured and grading completed up to October 18, 1873 on which date the company became bankrupt. This road was sold to B. P. Crane, contractor creditor on October 6, 1875 for $1001, and sold by B. P. Crane to J. M. Ashley on June 9th, 1877 for $25,000.
The Toledo and State Line Railroad Company was incorporated June 20. 1872 to build a line of road from Toledo, Ohio to the Michigan State Line, a distance of 5.65 miles. This line was constructed during the years 1872 and 1873 and was operated under a lease by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company from August 5, 1874 to May 28, 1875. This road was sold on May 28th, 1878 and consolidated with the Toledo and Ann Arbor Railroad Company.
The Toledo and Ann Arbor Railroad company was incorporated on November 23, 1877, the property and franchises of the bankrupt Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northern Railroad Company having been purchased by Mr. James M. Ashley on June 9, 1877, the Toledo and Ann Arbor railroad company was organized to complete the line from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to the Ohio State line, and to acquire by purchase the Toledo and State Line Railroad Company operating from that point into Toledo. The line from Toledo, Ohio to Ann Arbor, Michigan, was opened for traffic in June, 1878. It was consolidated with the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northeastern Railroad Company on October 15, 1880 under the name of the Toledo, Ann Arbor & Grand Trunk Railroad Company. The Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northeastern Railroad Company was incorporated an September 26, 1878 to build a line of railroad from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Pontiac, Michigan, a distance of 37.3 miles. The road from Ann Arbor, Michigan to South Lyons, Michigan was opened for traffic during August, 1881.
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From South Lyons to Pontiac had also been graded, but discovering that the Michigan Air Line Railroad Company in building from Pontiac to Jackson, Michigan, would parallel this line the graded portion was sold to that company and the projected line to Pontiac was abandoned. This line was consolidated on October 15, 1880 with the Toledo and Ann Arbor Railroad Company, the name of the consolidated company being the Toledo, Ann Arbor & Grand Trunk Railway Company.
The Toledo, Ann Arbor and Grand Trunk Railway Company was incorporated on October 15, 1880, being a consolidation of the Toledo and Ann Arbor Railroad Company and the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northeastern Railroad Companies, the line of railroad extending from Toledo, Ohio, to South Lyons, Michigan.
On August 14, 1882, the charter was amended by a change of termini to Toledo, Ohio and Durand, Michigan, this line was consolidated on .June 24, 1884 with the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railroad Company in which the name of the latter company was retained.
The Owosso and Big Rapids Railroad Company was incorporated on August 16, 1869. Charter amended December 29, 1871 by change of name to the Owosso and Northwestern Railroad Company incorporated December 29, 1871. No definite information on the line of road has been obtained but it is quite probable that this company contemplated building from Owosso to St. Louis and had practically completed the grading between these points. This road was sold in the year 1883 to J. M. Ashley, contractor, building the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan railway, and utilized by him in its construction. The Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railway Company was incorporated November 16, 1882, line of road South Lyons, Michigan to St. Louis, Michigan a distance of about 87 miles. Owosso Michigan to St. Louis Michigan completed in 1884. Durand, Michigan to Hamburg, Michigan, completed in 1885. Leland, Michigan to Hamburg, Michigan, completed in 1886. Durand, Michigan, to Owosso, Michigan completed in 1886. Hamburg to Hamburg Junction leased from Michigan Air Line Railway Company June 21st, 1886.
In the construction of the road from Owosso to St. Louis there was purchased the Owosso and Northwestern Railway Company’s grade, but otherwise uncompleted line between points named. Receiver was appointed for this Company on April 27, 1893. The property was sold on July 2nd, 1895 to the reorganization committee.
The Lansing, Alma, Mt. Pleasant & Northern Railway Company was incorporated on February 12, 1884. The proposed line of road was from Lansing, Michigan to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, a distance of about 68 miles. Of this line approximately 12 miles from Alma, Michigan north had been completed by May 7th, 1886 on which date the charter was amended, under date of May 7th, 1886, by change of name and route to the Toledo, Ann Arbor & Mt. Pleasant Railway Company, and was incorporated on that date, the line of road from St. Louis, Michigan, to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, a dis
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tance of about 21 miles. That part of the Lansing, Alma, Mt. Pleasant and Northern Railroad Company already built was made a part of the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Mt. Pleasant Railway and was consolidated on November 29, 1886 with the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railway Company.
The Harrison and Muskegon River Railroad Company, we have some little information regarding that, but there are no records at Lansing or elsewhere that it was ever incorporated. The file indicates that this line of road was for the purpose of logging, extending from Harrison in a westerly direction about 14 miles in length. This line was sold to the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Cadillac Railway Company sometime between August 25, 1886, and December 20, 1886, and a portion of its grade between Temple, Michigan, and four miles south of Take George, Michigan, utilized in the construction of the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Cadillac Railway. The Toledo, Ann Arbor and Cadillac Railway Company was incorporated on June 20, 1886, the line of road being from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan to Cadillac, Michigan, a distance of about 63 miles. In the construction of this line a logging road known as the Harrison and Muskegon River Railroad about fourteen miles in length was purchased and a part of its grade between Temple, Michigan, and a point four miles south of Lake George, Michigan was utilized by this company. Nearly all of this track however, was abandoned between 1893 and 1898. It was consolidated on February 29, 1888 with the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railway Company. The Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railway Company was incorporated on March 29th, 1888, the line of road proposed being from Cadillac, Michigan to Frankfort, Michigan, a distance of about 60 miles. This line was built as far as Copemish, Michigan, where it made a connection with the Frankfort & Southeastern Railroad. It was consolidated on April 16, 1890, with the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railway Company.
The Frankfort and Southeastern Railway Company was incorporated on December 2nd, 1885, the line of road being from Frankfort, Michigan to Copemish, Michigan, a distance of about 22.5 miles. This line was sold on May 14th, 1892 to the Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan Railway Company. A receiver for the latter company was appointed on April 27, 1893, but the Frankfort and Southeastern Railroad was sold separately under foreclosure on June 1st, 1895 to the stockholders’ committee. It was reorganized and incorporated on July 9, 1895 under the name of the Escanaba, Frankfort & Southeastern Railroad Company. The Escanaba, Frankfort & Southeastern Railroad Company was incorporated on July 9, 1895; re-organization of the Frankfort and Southeastern Railway Company operated from. July 9, 1895 to September 23, 1895. On September 23, 1895 it was sold to the re-origination committee of the Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan Railroad Company.
The Ann Arbor Railroad Company, the present company, was incorporated on September 2lst. 1895, reorganization of the Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan Railway Company, the line of rail-
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road being from Toledo, Ohio, to Frankfort, Michigan, a distance of about 300 miles. The line from Hamburg to Hamburg Junction was completed in 1895. The Alma cut-off in 1896. Various changes in the line reduced the mileage in 1898 to 290.9 miles.
I might say this history was dug out for the interstate Commerce Commission valuation committee, and we have been very careful in going to the bottom of everything.
