Below from Spraque's history of Grand Traverse & Leelanau Counties Published 1903
Until the Manistee & Northeast Railroad was
extended from Manistee to Traverse City Leelanau county was entirely without
railroad facilities. That road only reached two towns in the county, Solon and
Elmwood, giving them two stations, Pouch and Solon. In the spring of 1903 a
branch of this road was completed from Solon through Centerville and into Leland township to
Provemont, upon which passenger trams are now run regularly. Another extension
of the Manistee & Northeastern road in Benzie county to Platte gives railroad connection with Empire by way of the Empire Lumber Company's
road.
The Traverse City, Leelanau
& Manistique Railroad was completed from Traverse City to Northport the present
season, and regular passenger service was inaugurated on it the latter part of
June, 1903. This road runs through a fine farming and fruit country. After
leaving Traverse City stops are made at the following stations: Hatch's Crossing, Bingham, Fountain
Point, Sutton's Bay, The Clovers, Omena and Northport. The railroad company has
had built a fine car ferry, having a capacity for carrying thirty-two cars, and
elaborate cabin accommodations for a large number of passengers. A slip is
being constructed at Northport for this boat, which it is expected will be completed
by the first of September, when the ferry will commence making regular trips
across the lake between Northport and Manistique, where it will connect with
railroads for all parts of the Upper Peninsula.
The establishment of this line to the Upper
Peninsula will be of great interest and benefit, not only to Leelanau county,
but to the entire Grand Traverse region, providing a short line and quick
transportation for the fruit products of the region to the Upper
peninsula towns, where a good market for them is always to be
found.
TRAVERSE CITY,
LEELANAU & MANISTIQUE RAILROAD
Incorporated under
laws of Michigan
DIRECTORS |
||
Henry Russel |
Detroit,
Mich. |
September 8, 1909 or when successors are elected |
OFFICERS |
||
President |
Henry Russel |
Detroit,
Mich. |
1. The M&NE arrived
first, completing its main from Lake Ann to Traverse City by July
1st, 1892.
2. The TCL&M (Traverse City, Leelanau &
Manistique) built the line from the M&NE to Northport by June
28th, 1903. It was operated by the GR&I.
3. The LTC (Leelanau
Transit Company) bought the TCL&M on May 23rd, 1915.
4. The
M&NE leased the LTC on June 6th, 1919
5. PM gained control of
the M&NE including the LTC lease in 1931.
6. C&O merged
PM including the lease in 1955.
7. The LTC lease was canceled in
1982.
8. The junction of the TCL&M with the M&NE was
known as Hatch's or Hatch's Crossing by both the M&NE and TCL&M
(this conversation is the first I have heard of it being called
Rennies Junction.)
9. Greilickville was formerly known as Rennies
(GM lists this as Rennies was formerly known as Greilickville. I
suspect this is in error).
Poor's Railroad Investments Manual 12-31-1902 - Traverse City,
Leelanau and Manistique RR Co
From the Grand Rapid & Indiana
Railway statement
The Traverse City, Leelanau and
Manistique RR Co. has been formed to construct a line from Traverse
City to Northport, Mich., a distance of about 30 miles. The Grand
Rapids and Indiana Ry. Co. has taken $75,000 of bonds of the new
company, and received 25 per cent. ($125,000) of its capital stock.
The road was expected to be completed about July 1, 1903. It Will be
operated by by the Grand Rapids and Indiana Ry. Co.
From Michigan Railroad Commission Report 1903 - Traverse
City, Leelanau & Manistique Railroad
This road was projected from Traverse City through Grand Traverse
and Leelanau counties to Northport. Afterwards a long-time contract
was made with the Manistee & North Eastern Railroad Company for
use of that company's track's tracks from Traverse City to Hatche's
crossing, a distance of 5 6-10 miles.
The Traverse City, Leelanau & Manistique Railroad was completed and put into operation June 28, 1903. The road connects at Northport with the car ferry line of the Manistique, Marquette & Northern Railroad, which operates between North Northport and Manistique, in the Northern Peninsula.
The car ferry line at Manistique connects with the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway and with the Manistique, Marquette & Northern Railroad, which extends to Shingleton, where it connects with the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway. This line of road has been constructed with first-class bridge structures, ties and rail. Drainage is good. Station buildings are being erected wherever necessary. Road is generally fenced. Highway crossing in good condition. Surface and alignment of track good. The general condition of this road is satisfactory and equal to the requirements in point of safety.
The Traverse City, Leelanau and Manistique RR Co. has constructed a line from Traverse City to Northport, Mich.., a distance of about 30 miles. The Grand Rapids and Indiana Ry. Co. has taken $75,000 of bonds of the new company, and has received 25 per cent. ($125,000) of its capital stock. The road was partially opened for business July 1, 1903. Since that date it has been operated by the Grand Rapids and Indiana Ry. Co. on account, and not under contract of April 4, 1902, because it has not been completed as per terms of said agreement and because other uncompleted obligations of the contract owing largely to financial difficulties, which it is hoped will be eventually adjusted. [from GR&I Poors statement 1904]
The Traverse City, Leelanau and Manistique RR Co. has constructed a line from Traverse City to Northport, Mich.., a distance of about 30 miles. The Grand Rapids and Indiana Ry. Co. has taken $75,000 of bonds of the new company, and has received 25 per cent. ($125,000) of its capital stock. The road was partially opened for business July 1, 1903. Since that date it has been operated by the Grand Rapids and Indiana Ry. Co. on account, and not under contract of April 4, 1902, because it has not been completed as per terms of said agreement and because other uncompleted obligations of the contract owing largely to financial difficulties of the Traverse City, Leelanau and Manistique RR. Co. [from GR&I Poors statement 1905]
Traverse
City, Leelanau & Manistique Railroad |
||||
Stations |
Mile Post |
Year |
Siding |
Notes |
Traverse City |
0 .0 S |
1906 |
- |
GR&I Depot |
Hatch's Crossing |
5.6 S |
D |
- |
M&NE trackage to Traverse City |
Heinforth |
7.7 F |
|
|
|
Bingham |
9.6 S |
|
|
|
Keswick |
11.5 F |
|
|
Cut located north of town - SNOW |
Leelanau |
13.3 F |
|
|
|
Sutton Bay |
16.5 S |
D |
Behind depot |
|
Peshawbestown |
|
|
|
Village on line |
Manseau's Mill |
|
|
Siding to |
At Belanger Creek |
Omena |
23.7 S |
|
|
|
“OA” Siding |
24.2 |
|
|
|
Northport |
29.2 S |
D |
|
Car ferry connection to Manistique |
D = Day Telegraph station. F = Flag Stop S = Normal stop |
||||
One first class passenger train each way, daily except Sunday in 1906. No. 90 leaves southbound from Northport at 8:00 a.m., arriving at Traverse City at 10:05 a.m. No. 91 leaves Traverse City northbound at 3:40 p.m., arriving at Northport at 5:30 p.m. |
||||
Standard clock and bulletin books were located at the Traverse
City Telegraph office Registering stations were at the Traverse
City telegraph office, at the M&NE telegraph office in
Traverse City, at the Hatch's Crossing telegraph office, and at
the Northport Telegraph office. |
Michigan Railroad Commission Inspection
Report 1914
TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU
& MANISTIQUE RAILWAY
This property was inspected October 18
and consists of a line of road from Hatch's Crossing to Northport all
in Leelanau county. Train service is extended into Traverse City
over the Manistee & North-Eastern and Grand Rapids & Indiana
Railways, the station of the G. R. & I. Ry. Being used as their
passenger station. The rail in the track is 65 pound per yard and is
in good condition. Tie renewals have been fair. Two thousand ties
have been renewed this season. This property is not fence for the
entire distance. Where right of why fence is built it is
satisfactory maintained. Track is ballasted with a good grade of
ballast. Surface and alignment of track if fairly well maintained. Weeds on right of way not cut. The traffic on this line of road is
light. No stations of importance. Switch-stands provided with
targets and lock; no lights. Trains operated under standard code of
rules.
Record-Eagle Monday, June 19, 2006
LARRY WAKEFIELD
Manseau’s old grist mill was a
modern marvel
Manseau never got big enough to become
a real ghost town. It, however, had a siding on the old Traverse City
Leelanau and Manistique Railroad and was a gathering place for
Leelanau County farmers, who brought their grain to the grist mill
for sale or to be ground for their own use. The water-powered mill
was built in 1859 by Antoine Manseau Jr. In 1856, he had bought an
acre of land for $100. It was on what he named Kenosha Creek after an
Indian named Keywatosa. Three years later he dammed the creek, built
a 26-by-30 foot mill and started grinding grain with a pair of
imported millstones. They came from France and were made of
buhrstone, a composite of limestone and silica widely used for
grindstones in those days. The old mill still stands on what is now
Belanger Creek, 3 1⁄2 miles north of Suttons Bay. It probably was
the oldest grist mill in the Grand Traverse area, antedating the
Norris mill in Greilickville by at least two to three years. Like his
father, Antoine Sr., Antoine Manseau was a millwright and carpenter.
He was born in Canada, as was his father, and came to this country in
1838. After spending some time in Green Bay, Milwaukee and North
Manitou Island, the Manseaus settled at the mouth of the Carp River
in Leelanau County. There, Manseau helped his father build a dam and
sawmill on the river, thus founding the town of Leland in 1853. In
1882, Antoine Jr. built a 16-by-16-foot addition to his Kenosha mill
and installed a roller system necessary for milling flour. The mill
was a wonder of elaborate machinery of rollers, bolters and screens.
The grain moved six times from basement to top floor, through three
stands of silk bolters and screens that separated the coarse bran and
other byproducts from the final fie-ground flour. The mill was
automatic. Only one man as needed to operate it — just to see that
the grain kept moving in the right direction and to replace broken
belts. In 1906, the mill was bought by Eugene Belanger and was
operated by him and sons Ignatius, Alexis, Luke and Edwin until 1934.
At that time very little grain was being raised in the Grand Traverse
region, and the mill was closed because business was slow. Ed
Belanger remembers the mill’s last day. He remembers it especially
well because it came close to being his last day, too. For much of
that time, he and the farmer had stood on some planking over the
17-foot deep water box that provided power for the mill wheel. Ed
went to a dance in Suttons Bay. When he returned that night, he found
that part of the concrete wall of the water box had given away, and
the planking on which they had stood was 100 yards out on the bay
ice. “If it had happened during that day,” he said, “We’d
both have been goners for sure.” The mill stands empty now, but the
dam on Belanger Pond is still intact. The mill is registered on the
list of Michigan Historic Places.
Leelanau Enterprise 12-27-2013 County's
former U. P. link far from forgotten (items from)
The distance between the two ports was
75 miles.
Fares to Northport were $2.50 one way
and $4.50 round trip, plus a berth at $.75 and meals at $.50. per
George Hilton
The year 1908 saw the end of the
Manistique - Northport service, only five years after is was
instituted. The slip at Northport was sold to the Ann Arbor RR,
dismantled and re-erected as the west slip at Frank (harbor).