(rshsdepot) Romeo, MI

["jdent1_@_optonline.net" <jdent1@optonline.net>]

From the Romeo Observer=2E=2E=2E

Trains no longer rumble through here
by LARRY SOBCZAK
Observer Staff Writer
 =20
Romeo area residents no longer awaken to the rumble of box cars, the
"ding-ding" of crossing signals or the sound of the train whistle=2E

No one ever spots the puff of smoke and steam or the flickering headlight
on the horizon in the Romeo area=2E

Long gone are the nostalgic railroad depots in Romeo, Washington and Armad=
a=2E

Gatherings of relatives or friends at the station to send-off or pick-up
travelers from a far-away journey is an unknown ritual to most area
residents=2E

While the weeds creep into the abandoned right-of-way, Romeo's railroads
fade into the past=2E

Armada Township resident Ed Irish recalls the comfort of hearing the train=

horn as it passed his farm=2E

"It used to come by around five in the afternoon=2E You could hear the
engineer sound the horn when he crossed Powell and again at Romeo Plank,"
he said=2E

Directly adjacent to Irish's farm is a 270-foot-long trestle towering more=

than 30 feet above the Clinton River=2E It is the largest remaining relic =
of
the local railroad era=2E

Irish remembers the last special shipments of gas pipeline on the railroad=

in 1996 while a section of a cross-state pipeline was under construction
locally=2E

"The train would move along at walking speed=2E The crew would cross the
bridge ahead of the train and then the engineer would pull the train
across=2E I guess they did not trust that old bridge," he said=2E

While some residents may only remember the old Grand Trunk, it was only on=
e
of two railroads that connected Romeo to the outside world=2E

Now defunct for more than 70 years, was the electric powered interurban
Detroit United Railways (D=2EU=2ER) that ran from Detroit, Royal Oak and
Rochester on its way to Almont and Imlay City=2E

An interurban rail car resembles a larger trolley car=2E

"Romeo was an attractive destination for potential railroads," said Tim
Bachurst, President of the Michigan Transit Museum in Mount Clemens=2E

Bachurst can often be found Saturday and Sunday afternoons stitching
together facts of local railroad history with other rail fans at the
historic 1859 depot in Mount Clemens which has been converted into a museu=
m=2E

"I don't know how long the orchards have been there but farmers grew thing=
s
and needed access to markets to sell their products," he said=2E

The earliest attempt to build a railroad to Romeo began in 1833, just thre=
e
years after the village was founded and four years before Michigan became =
a
state=2E

The Romeo and Mount Clemens Railroad Company was chartered on April 16,
1833 according to Graydon Meints in his 1992 book "Michigan Railroads and
Railroad Companies=2E"

Meints had spent nearly 15 years collecting information about Michigan
railroads and sifting through state records of charters and incorporations=
=2E

The Romeo and Mount Clemens Railroad Company was founded with the intentio=
n
of raising $150,000 in capital to build a 15 mile railroad connecting two
of the most populous areas in the county at the time=2E

The charter eventually lapsed and the railroad apparently was never built=2E=


On March 26, 1836, a second railroad was chartered by the Michigan
Territorial Legislature to link Romeo to present day St=2E Clair=2E

The St=2E Clair and Romeo Rail-road Company had proposed building a 26 mil=
e
long railroad with $100,000 in capital=2E

According to William Jenks in his book, "History of St=2E Clair County,"
several miles of the railroad right-of-way were cleared and graded=2E

Work ceased on the railroad in 1837 when the Michigan legislature reneged
on its promise to provide additional funding for the railroad through its
$5 million internal improvement projects, in part because of the Panic of
1837 which made it nearly impossible to sell bonds in the United States=2E=


The state government had approved the sale of bonds to build three
railroads across the state as well as two canal projects=2E

A northern railroad route was initially proposed from St=2E Clair through
Romeo to Lake Michigan along part of the right-of-way that was under
construction=2E

According to Meintz, planners eventually chose Port Huron over St=2E Clair=
 as
the starting point for the northern cross-state railroad=2E

Despite the snub, the St=2E Clair and Romeo Rail-road Company amended its
charter in 1840 to extend its completion date; however, the railroad was
never built and the charter eventually lapsed=2E

It took another 30 years before railroads looked at Romeo as a possible
east-west route for railroads=2E

Meanwhile, the 1830s brought a few more proposals for railroads in the
Romeo area in the north-south direction including the Macomb and Saginaw
Railroad which was chartered on Aug=2E 24, 1835 to build 90 miles of railr=
oad
from Mount Clemens to Saginaw City=2E

No details about this proposal were uncovered by this writer, however, a
straight line drawn from downtown Mount Clemens to downtown Saginaw would
traverse Washington Township=2E

The Macomb and Saginaw Railroad Company amended its charter in 1840 to
replace "railroad" in its name to "turnpike road=2E" The charter is now
listed as lapsed=2E

Another major attempt to link Romeo with the rail began on May 4, 1846 whe=
n
the Shelby and Detroit Railroad Company amended its charter to include
Romeo and Port Huron as destinations=2E

The Shelby and Detroit was originally chartered in 1834 with $100,000 in
capital to link Utica to Detroit=2E

According to Volume 2 of "When Eastern Michigan Rode the Rails" written by=

local rail history buffs Jack Schramm and William Henning, the railroad wa=
s
in operation between Utica and few miles shy of Gratiot Road by September
1839=2E

Passengers and freight were transferred at the end of the rails to
stagecoach to make the rest of the journey into Detroit=2E

Operation of the Shelby and Utica reportedly ceased sometime in 1844 or
1845=2E

Dreams of a working railroad persisted into 1850s after the railroad's nam=
e
was changed to Detroit, Romeo and Port Huron Railroad in 1848=2E

The right-of-way was sold to James Joy and the charter for the railroad
lapsed=2E

Joy revived that railroad project in 1871=2E

Romeo was out of the picture for this railroad when it was decided to curv=
e
the railroad west into Rochester and call the new railroad the Detroit and=

Bay City Railroad=2E

A portion of the old Shelby and Detroit right-of-way is still in use today=

as a railroad serving auto companies between Mound and Van Dyke in Sterlin=
g
Heights and Warren=2E

After the end of the Civil War, Romeo became the part of the dreams of
several entrepreneurs to build railroad empires across the state and acros=
s
the country=2E

Romeo was mentioned in the names of incorporations plans of six railroads
between 1868 and 1883, according to a search of "Michigan Railroads and
Railroad Companies=2E"

"One of the things the great railroad speculators would do is put as many
names as possible in their incorporations papers to attract as much local
capital as possible," said Bachurst=2E

The Rochester and Romeo Railroad Company as well as the Romeo and Almont
Rail Road Company appear to have been proposed only to connect Romeo to
neighboring communities=2E

Shaping the other railroad proposals in the late 1860s and 1870s was a
battle between railroad empires to build a connection from the east coast
to booming Chicago by way of Canada and Michigan=2E

Grand Trunk Railroad of Canada had established a connection through Ontari=
o
to Chicago in 1859 after it had built the railroad that still parallels
Gratiot from Port Huron to Detroit=2E Railroad cars were ferried across th=
e
St=2E Clair River between Port Huron and Sarnia=2E

After reaching Detroit, Grand Trunk had track rights to Chicago on the
Michigan Central Railroad until Commodore Vanderbilt gained control of the=

company and terminated Grand Trunk's rights=2E

"That threat appears to be the catalyst for Grand Trunk to build a new
railroad," Bachurst said=2E

Spotting the opportunity to become a player in the ensuing battle, two
separate groups of investors formed railroad companies=2E

A group of southwestern Michigan investors formed the Chicago and Michigan=

Grand Trunk in 1865 to build a railroad from Ridgeway (present-day
Richmond) through Romeo, Jackson, Niles to Indiana=2E

In January 1868, a group of Jackson investors formed the Grand Trunk Rail
Road of Michigan to build a railroad from Richmond to Indiana via Romeo an=
d
Lansing=2E

Meints writes that "it appears that the Grand Trunk of Canada had no direc=
t
involvement with any of these Michigan efforts in the 1860s=2E" It is like=
ly
the investors chose the name of their companies to attract the attention o=
f
Grand Trunk for a future sale of their railroads=2E

Nothing came out of the Chicago and Michigan Grand Trunk Proposal,
according to Meints=2E

The Jackson investors changed their tactic in July of 1868 and renamed
their railroad to the Michigan Air Line Railroad=2E The company also absor=
bed
two Indiana companies at that time=2E

Approximately 36 years after the first Romeo railroad proposal, the
Michigan Air Line Railroad finally reached Romeo in 1869=2E Regular train
service began in Romeo on Dec=2E 9, 1869, from Ridgeway=2E

Tough economic times and competition between railroad barons slowed
construction of the Michigan Air Line and it did not reach Jackson until
Jan=2E 1, 1884=2E

While the Michigan-based investors pursued building a Chicago route for
Grand Trunk to purchase, competing East Coast investors began their effort=
s
for a Chicago route in earnest=2E

Within a few months of the opening of the Michigan Air Line, Romeo almost
had a second railroad through it=2E

In 1870, the Michigan Midland Railroad company was incorporated with $3
million to build a railroad from St=2E Clair to Lansing via Romeo, part of=

the efforts of the Canada Southern Railroad to link the East Coast to
Chicago=2E

The Canada Southern was under the control of railroad baron Daniel Drew=2E=


"Ownership of the railroads can be confusing during this time period,"
Bachurst said=2E

Nearly following the route of an earlier proposal in the 1830s, the
Michigan Midland Railroad proposal was expanded in 1871 to reach the mouth=

of Black Lake in Holland Township and the capital was increased to $6
million=2E The length of the proposed railroad increased from 102 miles to=

200 miles=2E

There is evidence that the Michigan Midland Railroad was a very serious
effort=2E

The first 15 miles of the railroad was built from St=2E Clair to Richmond =
and
operated until 1932=2E The old right-of-way is still somewhat visible now =
as
fence row between fields in St=2E Clair County=2E

Other evidence include the 1875 Oakland County plat maps, which were
compiled from property title information and show the Michigan Midland on
it=2E

The 1875 Michigan Railroad Map produced by the Michigan Railroad
Commissioner was another map showing the proposed route of the Michigan
Midland on it=2E

Local lore also reports that there is an old railroad grade built in the
Romeo area, however, no one has been able to prove the sections were
actually a railroad grade or if it is just a forgotten fence row=2E

The interest to build another railroad through Romeo to link to Chicago
faded by the early 1880s=2E

The Grand Trunk was able to link existing railroads between Port Huron and=

Chicago by the 1880s=2E

Vanderbilt looked south to complete his connection=2E

The Michigan Air Line was purchased by Grand Trunk in 1875 to lock out
competitors from using that route=2E

After the early 1880s, the only recorded account of a steam powered
railroad interested in building towards Romeo was the Pere Marquette
Railroad=2E

The Romeo Observer reported in 1903 that a survey crew was in the area
looking for potential routes to extend the spur that ran from Port Huron t=
o
Almont via Memphis=2E

The invention of the light interurban railroad which was powered by
electricity rather than coal and steam spawned a new interest in railroad
building in Romeo around the end of the 19th century and the beginning of
the 20th century=2E

Unlike the heavy steam railroads, the interurban could stop and pick-up
passengers and freight at almost any place along its route=2E

Interurbans were limited by the availability of power generating plants
along the route and were used mostly by commuters for day trips to Detroit=

or other nearby towns=2E

The Detroit, Rochester, Romeo and Lake Orion Railway Company began service=

to Romeo on Nov=2E 18, 1899=2E

The company was eventually merged into Detroit United Railways which had a=

virtual monopoly on light rail service in Southeast Michigan from 1899 to
1931=2E

Remnants of the D=2EU=2ER=2E right-of-way are still visible along Van Dyke=
 near
Kidder Road, in Stony Creek Metropark and along Orion Road in Oakland
Township=2E

Rails from the D=2EU=2ER=2E are still buried underneath Main Street in Rom=
eo as
well as Rochester=2E The rails underneath West St=2E Clair were removed in=
 the
late 1990s when the road was completely rebuilt=2E

Another interurban railroad, Rochester and St=2E Clair Railway Company,
proposed building an electric railroad in 1900, however it appears the
proposal died=2E

The D=2EU=2ER=2E was dissolved in 1931 after years of competition from
automobiles, tax subsidies favoring roads and the politics of fare
regulation took its toll=2E

The D=2EU=2ER=2E ceased operation on July 5, 1931=2E Service through Romeo=
 ended on
an earlier date=2E

Railroad passenger service continued in Romeo until 1954 when Grand Trunk
decided to get out of the passenger business=2E

Grand Trunk freight trains continued to regularly run through Romeo until =
a
train derailed at 30 Mile in April 1989=2E

With few customers along the line, service was scaled back to shipments
from Pontiac to the Washington Elevator Company through the 1990s=2E

Grand Trunk's successor corporation, Canadian National, petitioned the
Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the railroad in 1998=2E

The rails were ripped out by a salvage crew in the fall of 1999 and the
railroad was officially abandoned=2E

After the railroad through Romeo was abandoned, efforts began locally to
purchase the right-of-way and convert it into a recreation trail=2E

The state of Michigan has converted a section of the old Michigan Air Line=

into a recreation trail near Pickney as has West Bloomfield Township=2E

A consortium of local governments is planning on converting the Air Line
into a recreation trail in western Oakland County=2E

A similar consortium, called the Macomb Orchard Trail Commission, is under=

way in northern Macomb County to develop the abandoned right-of-way into a=

trail=2E

The cities of Rochester, Rochester Hills and Auburn Hills are already
working on efforts to convert the railroad into a recreation trail=2E

While smoke, soot and trains' whistles are just a memory in Romeo, local
rail-to-trail advocate Lee Sorenson says that projects like Macomb Orchard=

Trail preserve history and give area residents a nostalgic look into the
past=2E

"There are a lot of the trails that are using old depots as rest stops and=

museums," he said=2E

"You get on these rails-trails and see a lot of railroad history, sometime=
s
even if it's just a mile marker kept to remind us of the past=2E"

The Michigan Midland and Canada Railroad was a serious attempt to build a
railroad through Romeo from St=2E Clair to Chicago=2E Only 15 miles of the=

railroad was built between Richmond and St=2E Clair=2E A blank stock
certificate is the only evidence left of the effort=2E Image provided by t=
he
University of Rochester=2E



Proposed railroads never built or completed


Canada, Michigan and Chicago Railway Company

Incorporated Dec=2E 6, 1871 with $4 million to build and own 110 miles of
railroad from Lansing to St=2E Clair=2E The Romeo area lies in a direct li=
ne
between these cities=2E Another incantation of the Michigan Midland Railro=
ad
name=2E


Capac and Northern Railway

Incorporated Nov=2E 23, 1879 with $300,000 to build and own 30 miles of
railroad from Capac to Marlette=2E Corporation lapsed and line never built=
=2E


Detroit, Lexington, and Lake Huron Railway

Incorporated May 25, 1900 with $25,000 to build and own an electric
interurban railroad from Detroit to Lexington via Hamtramck, Utica,
Washington, Romeo, Almont, Imlay City, Capac, Yale and Croswell=2E
Corporation lapsed and the line was never built=2E


Detroit, Mt=2E Clemens, Romeo and Armada Electric Railway Company

Incorporated Dec=2E 22, 1900 with $25,000 to build and own 25 miles of
electric interurban railroad from Mt=2E Clemens to Armada and Romeo=2E
Corporation lapsed and line never built=2E


Detroit, Romeo and Port Huron Railroad Company

Incorporated March 18, 1848 with $100,000 to build and own a railroad from=

Detroit to Port Huron via Romeo=2E The companys' charter expired but a
portion of the track bed from Detroit to Utica was built and used later in=

the construction of the Detroit and Bay City railroad=2E


Detroit, Utica and Romeo Railway Company

Incorporated on Aug=2E 10, 1898 to build and own 30 miles of electric
railroad from Detroit to Romeo=2E A portion of this line was completed in
present-day Detroit but it never went through Utica or the Utica area=2E


Grand Trunk Railroad of Michigan

Incorporated on May 26, 1868 to build and own 240 miles of railroad from
Richmond (Ridgeway) via Romeo and Lansing to St=2E Joseph then via Niles t=
o
the Indiana state line then to Chicago=2E The corporation lapsed, however,=
 it
appears some interests were sold to the Michigan Air Line Railroad=2E This=

corporation was not owned by Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada=2E


Lexington and Utica Railroad Company

Incorporated on Dec=2E 17, 1883 with $520,000 to build and own 60 miles of=

railroad from Utica to Lexington=2E Route could have taken it near Romeo,
however, no documentation supports this speculation=2E The corporation lap=
sed
and the railroad was never built=2E


Macomb and Saginaw Railroad Company

Chartered Aug=2E 24, 1835 with $1,000,0000 to build 90 miles of railroad f=
rom
Mt=2E Clemens to Saginaw City which would have passed through northern Mac=
omb
County=2E On March 30, 1840, the charter was amended to allow the
substitution of a turnpike road for a railroad=2E The charter lapsed=2E


Michigan Air Line Extension Rail Road Company

Incorporated on Nov=2E 13, 1869 to build and own a railroad from St=2E Cla=
ir to
New Baltimore and to own a section of track that ran from Ridgeway
(Richmond) to St=2E Clair=2E

The corporation lapsed and the tracks from St=2E Clair to New Baltimore we=
re
not completed=2E


Michigan Midland Railroad Company

Incorporated May 19, 1870 with $3 million to build and own a 102 mile
railroad from St=2E Clair to Lansing via Romeo and Lake Orion=2E The
corporation papers were amended on Dec=2E 28, 1871 with the purpose of
extending the line beyond Lansing to the mouth of Black Lake in Holland
township=2E Total capital was increased to $6,000,000 at that time=2E The
railroad was sold to Michigan, Midland and Canada Railroad on Nov=2E 12, 1=
873
at a value of $400,000=2E On Dec=2E 7, 1873, 15 miles of track were comple=
ted
between St=2E Clair and Ridgeway (modern-day Richmond=2E) Canada Southern
gained control of the 15 mile track in 1882=2E On Sept=2E 24, 1906, the
railroad was foreclosed upon and ownership shifted to the St=2E Clair and
Western Railroad=2E The tracks were abandoned on Sept=2E 23, 1932, one of =
the
earliest railroad abandonments in the area=2E The company was dissolved on=

Dec=2E 27, 1949=2E


Northern Michigan Railway Company

Incorporated on May 26, 1869 with $2 million in capital to build and own
100 miles of track from Bay City to Detroit via Utica, Romeo, Almont,
Lapeer, Columbiaville and Vassar=2E The corporation lapsed and no tracks w=
ere
ever built=2E


Rochester, Almont and Northern Railroad Company

Incorporated on June 5, 1879 with $100,000 to build and own 20 miles of
railroad from Rochester to Almont via Lakeville=2E The corporation lapsed =
and
no tracks were ever built=2E


Rochester and Romeo Railroad Company

Incorporated on Aug=2E 9, 1869 with $50,000 to build and own six miles of
railroad between Rochester and Romeo=2E The corporation lapsed and no trac=
ks
were ever built=2E


Rochester and St=2E Clair Railway Company

Incorporated on Jan=2E 9, 1900 with $150,000 to build and operate 18 miles=
 of
electric railway from Rochester to Lenox Township=2E The route would have
likely traversed Washington and Ray Townships although it is unknown if a
survey has ever been completed=2E The corporation lapsed and the railroad =
was
never built=2E


Romeo and Almont Rail Road Company

Incorporated Jan=2E 28, 1870 with $100,000 in capital to build and own nin=
e
miles of railroad from Romeo to Almont=2E The corporation lapsed and no
tracks were ever built=2E


Romeo and Mount Clemens Railroad Company

Chartered on April 16, 1833 with $150,000 in capital to own and build 15
miles of track between Mount Clemens and Romeo=2E It is the fourth charter=
 of
a railroad in the State of Michigan=2E No tracks were ever built=2E=20


Romeo and Western Railroad Company

Incorporated on July 11, 1870 with $200,000 to build and own 14 miles of
railroad from Romeo to Oxford=2E The corporation was amended on July 11, 1=
871
to increase the capital to $2 million and to modify the route to 95 miles
to Jackson via Lakeville, Oxford and Clarkston=2E Besides the Michigan
Midland, early construction of this railroad could have been responsible
for structures resembling rail bed structures in Bald Mountain State
Recreation Area in Oakland Township=2E The corporation has since lapsed=2E=



St=2E Clair and Romeo Rail-road Company

Chartered on March 26, 1837 to own and build 26 miles of railroad from
Palmer in St=2E Clair County to Romeo=2E On March 6, 1840, the charter was=

amended to extend the completion date=2E It is unclear if any track was ev=
er
laid for this railroad=2E The charter lapsed without a railroad reaching
Romeo=2E


St=2E Clair and Western Railroad Company

Incorporated on Sept=2E 24, 1906 to reorganize the Michigan, Midland and
Canada Railroad=2E This corporation was owned by Canadian Southern Railway=
=2E
For more information, read about the Michigan Midland railroad=2E


St=2E Clair River, Pontiac, and Jackson Railroad Company

Incorporated on April 5, 1872 with $1=2E2 million to own 120 miles of
railroad from the St=2E Clair River Pontiac and Jackson=2E An entity that
attempted to build a competing route to the Michigan Air Line Railroad and=

would have gone through Romeo=2E One week after its incorporation, it leas=
ed
interest already acquired in perpetuity part of the Michigan Air Line
Railroad=2E It was renamed the St=2E Clair and Chicago Air Line on July 20=
,
1872=2E


Shelby and Belle River Rail-road Company

Chartered on March 26, 1836 with $100,000 in capital to build and own 25
miles of railroad from Shelby Township to the Belle River in Macomb County=
=2E
It is unknown if a route was ever surveyed but it is logical to conclude i=
t
would have taken it through the Romeo area=2E The charter lapsed and no
tracks were built=2E


Utica and Lexington Railroad Company

Incorporated on Dec=2E 10, 1883 with $520,000 to build and own 60 miles of=

railroad from Utica to Lexington=2E The route could have possibly passed
through the Romeo area=2E The corporation lapsed=2E

Source: Michigan Railroads and Railroad Companies, by Greydon M=2E Meints,=

Michigan State University Press, 1992


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