J. E. Howard Michigan Railroads Business Records, 1846, 1920, and undated

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Central Michigan University Clarke Historical Library

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Summary

Creator:: Howard, J. E.
Abstract:: This collection is composed mostly of financial and business records, as well as some minutes, agreements, and reports, of numerous Michigan railroad and railway companies.
Extent:: 93 cubic ft. (in 32 boxes (31 cubic ft.) and 276 Oversized volumes, 11 Oversized Folders, 1 rolled item (62 cubic feet))
Language:: English
Authors:: Collection processed and finding aid created by [W.] David Conwill, Marian Matyn

Background

Scope and Content:

This collection consists mainly of various types of accounting and financial records, as well as some legal records (copies), of the Chicago and West Michigan Railway (CandWMRy) and the DLandNRR, and similar records of smaller Michigan railroads that were eventually purchased by the larger RRs. These records came from the office of J. E. Howard, Esq., who worked as the Assistant Treasurer and Paymaster of the larger RRs from 1886 through 1893. He was also the Assistant Treasurer and Paymaster of the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis RR between 1889 and 1897, and by 1894, the Paymaster of these three major railroads. Beginning in 1901, he was the Chief Clerk of the PMRR, so records of the PMRR and the Flint and Pere Marquette RR are also in the collection. Miscellaneous coupons of various street-railroad companies, mostly of Michigan, but also including other nearby states, are also included in the collection, as are Miscellaneous Railroad Materials, including records of railroad-related companies, and truly Miscellaneous Materials.

Please note that “Way Bills” is spelled several different ways throughout the collection finding aid, just as it is on the various types of way bills in the collection.

Series 1) the Bay City Belt Line RR, includes Bills, Proxies, 1889-1892, undated; and Correspondence re: a contract, 1892 (1 folder total, letter-size).

Series 3) the Chicago and West MI Railway (CandWMRy) is one of the largest series in the collection. It consists of approximately 12.5 cubic ft. of letter-size records, approximately 1 cubic ft. of legal-size records, and 136 oversized volumes. The main sub-series of the CandWMRR include: Audits, 1898; Bill for Lawyers, 1890; Books of Stock Certificates, 1879-1898 (approximately 4 cubic ft.); Correspondence, 1878-1898 (Scattered); Dock Pay Rolls, 1899; Garnishees, 1889-1900 (approximately 7 cubic ft.); Letter Pressbooks, 1890-1898 (1 cubic ft.); Notices of Meetings, 1899; Proxies, 1882-1884; and Stock Certificates, 1881-1899 (7 folders). Oversized volumes (136) include: Bill Registers, 1880-1891; Cash Books, 1879-1883; Cash Received Books, 1883-1898; Collection Books, 1892-1896; Daily Remittance Books, 1897-1899; Disbursements, 1883-1898; Index to Bill Register, undated; Paymaster’s Drafts Issued, 1888-1889; and Pay Roll Books (the bulk of the oversized volumes), 1881-1899 and 1905. Pay Roll Books include Detroit, Lansing and Northern RR (DLandNRR) from August 1889 on, and the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis RR from 1891 on.

Series 4) consists of materials that have the combined letterhead of the Chicago and West MI Railway and the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western RR (DGRandWRR). This includes [letter-size] Pay Orders, 1898 (1 folder), and Receipts for the salary of Charles Merriam, Treasurer of the CandWMRR and DLandNRR, 1877-1890 (Scattered) (1 folder). Also included are [legal-size] Deductions from Pay for the CandWMRR/ DGRandWRR, 1897-1898 (24 folders).

Series 5) is [letter-size] Correspondence, 1895-1899 (approximately 2 cubic ft.), written or typed on the combined letterhead of the CandWMRR and the DLandNRR.

Series 6) the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western RR (DGRandWRR) includes: Audits, 1898-99, Books of Stock Certificates, 1897-1899; Discharge Tickets, 1890-1900 (examples); Drafts, 1897,1899; Mortgages Certificates, 1897; and Garnishees, 1897-1900 (the bulk of the series) (approximately 1 cubic ft. total.) The Garnishees are filed in numerical order, and include those for both the DGRandWRR and DLandNRR (.25 cubic ft.), which were originally interfiled. The Garnishees for CandWMRR are a completely separate numerical sequence, and not part of the DGRandWRR Garnishees. Oversized volumes (6) include: Cash Received Book, 1897-1898; Daily Remittance Books, 1897-1900; and Disbursements, 1897-1898.

Series 7) the Detroit, Lansing and Lake MI RR includes an Indenture, Second Mortgage, 1874 (1 v. in 1 folder, letter-size) and Mortgage Foreclosures, 1876-1877(1 folder, legal-size). Oversized volumes (22) include: Bond Transfers Books, 1873-1876 and 1897; various Cash Books, 1871-1876; Ledgers of Second Mortgage Bonds, 1873-1876; Pay Rolls, 1871/2 and 1874/5; Vouchers, including an Index and Register, 1873-1878 and undated.

Series 8) the Detroit, Lansing and Northern RR (DLandNRR), includes various financial records (totaling approximately 6.5 cubic ft.) including: (letter-size) Accounts, 1877-1878; Audits, 1891, 1893, and 1896; a Bill for Layers, 1887; lists of Board of Directors/ Stockholders, 1884-1890 (Scattered); Bond Coupons (Examples), 1897-1895; Books of Stock Certificates, 1877-1898 (8 v.); Correspondence, 1889, 1891-1892; Drafts, 1889-1890s; and Garnishees, 1892-1897 (approximately 2 cubic ft.). Also included are a Plan of Reorganization, Subscribers, 1896-1899, and undated, (13 folders); Promissory Notes, 1874-1889; Proxies, 1884-1894 (Scattered); Receipt of Salary, 1894 for J. E. Howard; Reorganization Receipts and Receipt Books, 1894-1897 (9 folders); Reports of Work Done by Working Train, 1890-1891, 1900; Stock Certificate, undated; Vouchers, 1899 (approximately 1.5 cubic ft.). Legal-size materials include: Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, 1880 and 1883 (Scattered); and an Annual Meeting Announcement, 1891; and Mortgage Foreclosures, 1895-1896, and 1898. Oversized volumes (38) include: a Bond Transfers Book,1878-1896; Cash Received Books, 1877-1896; Collection Record Books, 1882-1896; Disbursements, 1883-1896; Ledgers of Bonds, 1877-1881 and 1907; Pay Master’s Bank Account, 1888-1892; and Vouchers and related Index, 1878-1884.

Series 9) consists of correspondence and bills re: damaged freight (fruit/candy), 1887-1888 (1 folder, letter-size) on the combined letterhead of the DLandNRR and the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis RR.

Series 10) is the Detroit, Lansing and Northern System, which includes Reorganization Receipt Books (3 v., in 3 folders, legal-size), 1896, and oversized volumes (4) with the same title, 1894-1899.

Series 11), the Flint and Pere Marquette RR (FandPMRR), includes: [letter-size] Broken Rail Reports, 1899-1900; Correspondence, 1878 and 1901 (Scattered); Pay Orders, 1899 (very scattered) (1 folder each); [legal-size] Monthly Report Ties Received, 1900-1901 (scattered) (1 folder) and Way Bills, 1880 and 1895 (3 folders). Oversized folders include Bonds and Coupons, 1860-1891. Oversized volumes (16) include: Bonds, for the FandPMRR and Flint and Holly RR (FandHRR), 1860-1891; Dividend Book, 1881-1884, Interest Coupons Paid and Canceled for various bonds including the FandHRR, 1863-1891; and Bond Registers, 1868 and undated.

Series 12) the Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit RR (GRLandDRR) includes: a list of the Board of Directors, 1889; Bond Coupons, 1884; a Bond Receipt, 1887; Proxies, 1889; Subscribers Information, 1887 (7 folders total, letter-size). Also included are Board of Directors’ Meeting Minutes, 1880 and 1888, and Mortgage Foreclosures, 1895-1896 (1 folder each, legal-size). A Transfer Ledger and Register, 1887-1896 (1 oversized v.) completes the collection.

Series 13) the Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore RR, consists of Cash Books, 1871-1877 and 1881 forward (3 oversized v.).

Series 14) the Grand Rapids, Northern and Lake Shore RR, consists of Accounts, 1888-1890 (Scattered, 1 folder, legal-size).

Series 15) the Ionia and Lansing RR, includes Bond Coupons (Examples), 1881-1889 (Scattered) and Bond Transfers, 1897-1900 (2 folders total, letter-size). Oversized volumes (9) include various Bond, Cash, and Mortgage Books, and a Pay Roll, 1867-1899.

Series 16) the Michigan Central RR Company (MCRR), includes an Agreement with the CandMLS RR and the MCRR, 1876 (legal-size), and a Preliminary Survey of the Paw Paw Valley Railroad, undated, which was part of the MCRR. Oversized volumes (4) include: Account Books, 1846-1875 (2 v.), Cash Totals Book, 1866-1870, and a Ledger, 1878-1880. Other Oversized materials include Telegraph Reports from the Allegan Division, 1912 (1 Oversized folder) and #7 Jackson County Right-of-way and Track Map, 1918 (a rolled, torn item).

Series 17) the Milwaukee, Benton Harbor and Columbus Railway, consists of 1897 Consolidation Agreements between the St. Joseph Valley Railway Company and the Benton Harbor and Southeastern Railway Company.

Series 18) the Pere Marquette RR, includes various Accounts, Reports, Requisitions, and Way Bills, largely for the Collins Station. Many of the Reports were required, standardized forms used by the US Railroad Administration, which nationalized the railroad companies during World War I. The records total 13 folders (letter-size) and 12 folders (legal-size), 1900-1902, 1905, 1916-1920, and undated. Oversized volumes (4) include: Collins Station Local Sales Record, 1920; Check Stubs; 1903-1905; Detail of Collection Account Book; 1900-1901; and Record of Remittances, 1900.

Series 19) the Saginaw and Grand Rapids RR, includes Board of Directors/ Stockholders Materials, Lists, a Bill of the published notice of a meeting, Proxies, and Stock Transfers, 1879, 1884-1891 (Scattered) (5 folders total, all but one of which is letter-size).

Series 20) the Saginaw and Western RR (SandWRR), includes the same subseries as the SandGRRR, 1883-1890 and 1892 (4 folders total, all but one is letter-size). A Voucher Transfer Ledger and Register, 1885-1896 (1 Oversized v.) completes the collection.

Series 21) consists of Mortgage Foreclosures, 1895-1896 (1 folder, legal-size) which have the combined letterhead of the SandWRR and the GRLandDRR.

Series 22) the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis RR, includes some Board of Directors/Stockholders Materials, Lists, Proxies, financial information, and Mortgage Foreclosures, 1883-1896, but the majority of the subseries is Pay Rolls, Time Sheets, Pay Orders, Receipts of Pay, lists and accounts of Boarders, and Pay Roll Totals of RR employees, 1871-1878 (approximately 2.5 cubic ft.). Oversized volumes (5) are either Cash or Coupon books, 1879-1896.

Series 23) is materials of unidentified railroads, including a Statement of Engineering Expenses on the West Branch, 1880 and a Railroad Mileage /Tickets Account Book, 1875-1876 (Indexed).

Series 24) the White River RR, includes various materials, mostly related to its dissolution, including Stock Certificates, Stockholders Lists, Pay Orders of Dividends, Accounts, and Bills for the lawyers, 1879-1884, and undated (4 folders of letter-size and two of legal-size materials).

Series 25) Miscellaneous RR Materials, include: the Detroit and Grand Rapids Account Books of J. E. Howard concerning the Estate of Albert S. Austin (d. 1888?) (3 v., letter-size); the Central Traffic Association, General Expense Statement, February 1889, which statistically documents the financial status and business of many different railroads (1 folder, letter-size); and Check Stub Books of the Charlevoix Improvement Company and the Michigan Equipment Company, Limited, both of which were probably holding companies for railroad companies. The books of the Charlevoix Improvement Company include Canceled Checks at 4th National Bank, 1897-1899 (6 v., legal-size), and those of the Michigan Equipment Co., Ltd., include blank checks with Old Colony Trust Co., Boston, or 2nd National Bank, Boston, 1892-1893 and 1902 (two v., legal-size). Lastly, the West Michigan Lumber Co. is represented by vague By-laws, 1879, and Board of Directors’ Meeting Minutes, 1879-1881 (1 folder, legal-size).

Series 26) truly Miscellaneous Materials, consists solely of the Notary Public Certificate of Melancthan D. Woodford, 1876 (letter-size). His relationship to the collection is at present unknown.

Processing Notes: Howard grouped materials by format, record types (ex. Audits, Drafts, etc.), in numerical and chronological order, and by the name of the railroad, keeping loose papers together, usually tri-folded in office boxes. Oversized volumes were apparently filed in a similar manner, separately from the papers.

The collection is organized first by loose manuscript materials in boxes (letter-size records first, then legal-size records), and Oversized volumes. Within each of these size formats, materials are organized alphabetically by the names of railroad companies, then alphabetically by type of record, and then chronologically.

For example: Box 1: CandWM RR Accounts; Agreement; Books of Stock, 1895, 1896, 1898. Pay Roll Box 2: DLandNRR Accounts; Bills; Correspondence. Oversized Volumes: CandWMRy Accounts Pay Rolls; DLandNRR Accounts Pay Rolls Stock Certificates

Fire Damage: At some point, the building housing Howard’s records must have burned because many of the records are scorched. A substantial number of records in the collection are quite yellowed, brittle, and acidic. Some of the volume covers have bird poop on them, while others are detached from the volumes, as are some of the spine covers.

There is a lot of financial and business correspondence between Howard and C. L. Gunn, Esq., who was the Assist Treasurer of the CandWMRy, and U. B. Rogers, who was the Auditor of the CandWMRy, the DLandNRR, and the SVandSLRR. There is also some material related to Charles Merriam who was the Treasurer of the RR in Boston.

Biographical / Historical:

Biography:

J. E. Howard served as the Assistant Treasurer and Paymaster of the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad and the Chicago and West Michigan Railway from 1886 through 1893. He was also the Assistant Treasurer and Paymaster of the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis RR between 1889 and 1897, and by 1894, the Paymaster of the same railroads. Correspondence in the collection documents that on December 18, 1899 Howard resigned as Director of the Pere Marquette RR (PMRR). Beginning in 1901, he was the Chief Clerk of the PMRR.

From 1885 until 1900, Howard lived in Grand Rapids. He then “removed to Detroit”, where he lived at least 1902. He is always listed in the city directories as a single man and a boarder. Howard was never listed in the Michigan or other state censuses. Several letters in the business correspondence subseries of this collection document that he was a Baptist and served as Chair of the Board of the State Normal School at Ypsilanti.

Howard is listed as James E. Howard in Polk’s city directories for Grand Rapids and Detroit from 1885 through 1902. However, he always signed papers as “J. E. Howard”. (No further information is available on Howard.)

Organizational History: There are many Michigan railroad companies in this collection. Brief histories from Michigan Railroads and railroad companies by Graydon M. Meints (1992) will be given for each company in this collection. All locations are in Michigan (MI), unless otherwise noted.

The Bay City Belt Line Railroad Company (BCBRR) was incorporated on May 29, 1889 for $50,000 in Saginaw. The railroad (RR) owned six miles of track from the Saginaw River in Bay City to the Saginaw River in Hampton Township. On June 29, 1889 the route was revised and the capital increased to $100,000. The BCBLRR was bought on November 22, 1893 by the Detroit and Bay City RR, and was sold to PMRR on May 6, 1903 (Meints, p. 40).

On April 23, 1869, the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore RR Company (CandMLSRR) was incorporated for $1,000,000 in St. Joseph. The RR owned 30 miles of track from St. Joseph to the Indiana state line. In 1869, the RR consolidated with the Lake Shore RR of Western MI. The RR then opened a line from New Buffalo to St. Joseph in 1870. Later that year, it consolidated with the Grand Rapids and Lake Shore RR, and in 1871 with both the Grand Rapids and Holland RR and the Montague, Pentwater and Manistee RR. In January 1872, the RR completed a new line from New Buffalo to Pentwater. Later that year, the RR consolidated with the Muskegon and Big Rapids RR. In November 1876, the CandMLSRR went to receivership. It was sold by foreclosure sale on November 15, 1878 to the Chicago and West MI Railroad (Meints, p.48).

The Chicago and West MI Railroad (CandWMRR) was incorporated on December 20, 1878 for $6,151,000 in Muskegon, in order to reorganize the CandMLSRR, thus taking control of the New Buffalo to Pentwater line. On November 14, 1879 the RR took control of the White River RR, which it leased a year later. In 1881 the RR amended its name to the Chicago and West MI Railway (Ry) Company (CandWMRy) of Boston, Muskegon and Grand Rapids. The Ry consolidated with the Grand Haven RR; Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore RR; and the Indiana and MI RR. The Ry bought the White River RR (1884), took control of the Muskegon Lake RR (1886), added a branch from Baldwin to Mackinaw City (1889), and took control of the Chicago and North MI RR (1891), leased the Grand Rapids, Kalkaska and Southern RR (1898), and bought the Chicago and North MI RR (1899). Part of the Ry was sold on December 7, 1889 to the PMRR. In 1903, the CandWMRy took control of the Grand Rapids, Kalkaska and Southeastern RR. On March 28, 1917, the CandWMRy was sold in a foreclosure sale to the PMRR (Meints, p. 49).

On November 30, 1896 the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western RR Company (DGRandWRR) was incorporated for $5,693,500 in Detroit and Boston, for the purpose of reorganizing the Detroit, Lansing and Northern RR; and to consolidate the Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit RR, the Saginaw and Grand Rapids RR, the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis RR; and the Saginaw and Western RR. On December 29, 1896, the RR restated its routes, and on January 1, 1896 acquired the lines of the companies it had consolidated and reorganized. The DGRandWRR was sold to the PMRR, in part on December 7, 1899. The remainder of the DGRandWRR was sold at a foreclosure sale on March 28, 1917 (Meints, p. 64).

The Detroit, Lansing and Lake MI RR Company (DLandLMRR) was incorporated on March 16, 1871 for $2,000,000 in Detroit, in order to consolidate the Detroit, Howell and Lansing RR and the Ionia and Lansing RR. The line originally ran from Lansing to Greenville, and soon included from West Detroit to Howard City. On July 18, 1872, the RR received the Paterson RR. On October 1, 1872, the RR consolidated with the Ionia, Stanton and Northern RR. The RR went into receivership on July 31, 1876. On December 14, 1876, the DLandLMRR was sold at a foreclosure sale to the Detroit, Lansing and Northern RR (Meints, p. 65).

On December 21, 1876, the Detroit, Lansing and Northern RR (DLandNRR) was incorporated for $4,410,000 in Detroit, Ionia and Boston for the purpose of reorganizing the DLandLMRR. The line originally ran from West Detroit to Howard City, and included related branches. In 1879, the RR took control of the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis RR, which it later leased, and extended its line to Big Rapids. In 1883 the RR took control and leased the Saginaw and Western RR. The RR took control of the Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit RR in 1897, which it leased a year later. After taking joint leases of several depots, the RR was reorganized and went into receivership on April 1, 1896. At this time, the RR was called the Detroit, Lansing and Northern System. The DLandNRR was sold at foreclosure sale on November 10, 1896 to the DGRandWRR (Meints, p. 65).

The Flint and Pere Marquette Railway Company (FandPMRy) was incorporated on January 21, 1857 for $5,500,000 in East Saginaw, in order to own 170 miles of track from Flint to Pere Marquette. The Ry consolidated with the Genesee and Oakland RR (1859), the Flint and Holly (1868); the Holly, Wayne and Monroe RR; the Cass River RR; the Flint River RR; and the Bay City and East Saginaw RR (1872). Lines were opened from Saginaw to Mount Morris (1862), extended from Otter Lake to Caro (1872) and were completed from Monroe to Ludington (1874). The Ry took control of the Bay City and East Saginaw (1868), East Saginaw and St. Clair (1872), Saginaw and Clare County RR (1877), and the Saginaw and Mt. Pleasant (1879). On July 1, 1879, the Ry went into receivership. In 1880 the Ry took control of the Manistee RR, and suffered a foreclosure sale. The FandPMRy was incorporated in 1880 as the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad Co. (FandPMRR) for $6,500,000 to reorganize itself. In 1888, the FandPMRR consolidated the Saginaw and Clare County RR; the Saginaw and Mount Pleasant RR; the East Saginaw and St. Clair RR; and the Manistee RR. In 1889 the FandPMRR bought the Port Huron and Northwestern RR. In 1891 the branch from Novi via Delway to Detroit was added. The FandPMRR gained control of the Monroe and Toledo RR in 1893, which it bought in 1897. Part of the FandPMRR was sold to the Pere Marquette RR (PMRR) on December 6, 1899. The remainder of the RR was sold at foreclosure on March 28, 1917 (Meints, pp.74-75).

On May 13, 1887, the Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit RR Company was incorporated for $450,000, for the purpose of owning 35 miles of track between Grand Rapids and Grand Ledge. The RR was controlled by the DLandNRR, which leased the GRLandDRR in 1888, when the line was completed. On February 1, 1896, the GRLandDRR merged, effective on January 1, 1897, into the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western RR (Meints, p. 83).

The Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore RR (GRNandLSRR) was incorporated on September 8, 1869 for $1,000,000 in Grand Rapids, in order to own 80 miles of track from Grand Rapids via Newaygo to the shore of Lake Michigan in either Mason or Oceana County. The line from Grand Rapids to Sparta opened on May 9, 1872. On June 16, 1875 the line was expanded to 110 miles from the southern limits of Grand Rapids to Manistee. On September 24, 1875, the line from Grand Rapids to White Cloud was completed. The GRNandLSRR merged into the CandWMRR on July 16, 1881 (Meints, p.81).

The Grand Rapids, Northern and Lake Shore RR existed from 1888 until 1890. Its name indicates that it was probably a temporary merger of several railroads. Only some scattered accounts (1 folder) of this RR exist in this collection. (This railroad is not documented in Meints’ book, or in other publications.)

The Ionia and Lansing RR Company (IandLRR) was incorporated on November 13, 1865 for $300,000 in Ionia, for the purpose of owning 34 miles from Ionia to Lansing. In 1869 the charter was amended to include 125 miles from Lansing to the mouth of the Pentwater River. The line opened on November 18, 1869 from Lansing to Portland. On March 16, 1871, the IandLRR merged into the Detroit, Lansing and Lake MI RR (Meints, p. 89).

The history of the Michigan Central RR Company (MCRR) is long and complex. Because few items in the collection are from the MCRR, only a brief corporate history will be noted here. The RR was chartered on March 28, 1846 for $2,200,000 in Detroit and Boston, to own a line from Detroit, via Ypsilanti, to Ann Arbor. The MCRR acquired, controlled, or leased many lines, and eventually grew to encompass the whole state of MI as well as lines that ran east to Niagara Falls and west to Joliet, Illinois. Part of the MCRR was leased in 1930 to the New York Central RR, while other parts were bought in 1961 by the Detroit, Hillsdale and South Western line. Eventually, the remainder of the line went to the Consolidated Rail (1976), and the Penn Central Corp. (1978) (Meints, pp. 108-109).

The Milwaukee, Benton Harbor and Columbus Railway Company was incorporated on April 6, 1897 for $600,000 in Benton Harbor, to consolidate the St. Joseph Valley Railway Company and the Benton Harbor and Southeastern Railway Company. The line was completed on October 4, 1897 from Benton Harbor to Berrien Springs. On May 6, 1903, the RR merged into the PMRR (Meints, p. 113).

On October 27, 1869 the Paw Paw Valley RR Company was incorporated for $400,000, in order to own 50 miles of track from Schoolcraft, via Lawton, Paw Paw, Lawrence, Hartford, Watervliet, and Benton Harbor to St. Joseph. The RR eventually lapsed (Meints, p. 124).

The Pere Marquette RR Company (PMRR) was incorporated on September 20, 1899 for $150,000 in Detroit, for the purpose of owing 33 miles of track between Pentwater and Manistee. Initially, the RR was controlled by the FandPMRR, the DGRandWRR, and the CandWMRR. On October 31, 1899, the PMRR was renamed the Pentwater and Manistee. A month later it returned to using its original name in order to consolidate its three controllers for $28,000,000. The PMRR controlled, bought, and leased many lines, some of which were in Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana [none of which are represented in this collection]. The PMRR was sold at a foreclosure sale on March 15, 1917 to the Pere Marquette Ry, and eventually merged into the Chesapeake and Ohio RR on February 19, 1946 (Meints, p. 126).

The Saginaw and Grand Rapids RR (SandGRRR) was incorporated on October 22, 1878 for $1,000,000 in Saginaw, in order to own 70 miles of track from St. Louis to Grand Rapids. The RR was controlled by the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis RR, which later leased the SandGRRR. In March 1879, a line opened from St. Louis to Alma. On February 1, 1896, effective on January 1, 1897, the SandGRRR merged into the DGRandWRR (Meints, p. 133).

On June 5, 1883, the Saginaw and Western RR Company was incorporated for $675,000 to reorganize the Chicago, Saginaw and Canada RR, a 50-mile track from St. Louis to Howard City. Initially, the SandWRR acquired a line from St. Louis to Lakeview. From its incorporation date, the RR was controlled by the DLandNRR, which leased it in 1883 for 30 years. The line from St. Louis to Howard City was completed in August of 1886. On February 1, 1896, effective January 1, 1897, the SandWRR merged into the DGRandWRR (Meints, p. 134).

The Saginaw Valley and St. Louis RR Company (SVandSLRR) was incorporated on May 16, 1871 for $300,000, for the purpose of owning 34 miles of track from East Saginaw to St. Louis via Saginaw. The line was completed on January 1, 1873. In 1878, the charter was amended to own 91 miles from St. Louis to Grand Rapids, and the St. Louis branch to Mount Pleasant for $1,000,000. In 1878 the SVandSLRR controlled the SandGRRR. In 1879, the SVandSLRR was controlled by the DLandNRR. The charter was further amended in June of 1882 so that the SVandSLRR could own 63 miles from East Saginaw via Alma to Grand Rapids, 22 miles from St. Louis to Mt. Pleasant, and 6.5 miles from Alma to Ithaca. As of December 28, 1882, the SVandSLRR operated the Ithaca and Alma RR. The SVandSLRR merged into the DGRandWRR on January 1, 1897 (Meints, p. 135).

Incorporated to own 13 miles of track from White Cloud to Crooked Lake on November 13, 1879 for $130,000, the White River RR Company (WRRR) was controlled by the CandWMRR. The line opened on April 1, 1880 from White Cloud to Mud Lake. The CandWMRR lease the WRRR in 1880 before buying it on February 7, 1884 (Meints, p. 152).

Acquisition Information:

Acc# many

Arrangement:

The collection is organized first by format: letter-size records (Boxes 1-25), legal-size records (Boxes 26-32), and oversized volumes and folders. Within each format, materials are organized alphabetically by the name of the railroad (RR) company (series), then alphabetically by the type of materials (subseries), ex. Audits, Bills, Correspondence, Indexes, Pay Rolls, etc. Each subseries is organized chronologically and either numerically or alphabetically, depending on the materials and their original order.