Station: Escanaba, Michigan
Michigan's Internet Railroad History Museum
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Escanaba was settled in 1853 and called Sandy Point, after the land feature which jutted out into Little Bay de Noc at this location. A post office was established in 1853 and the name was changed to Esconawba in 1864. It became Escanaba in 1875 and named the county seat in 1861. The forerunner to the C&NW built here in 1863 and also constructed an ore dock. The first house (a hotel) was built in 1865 and the first lighthouse was constructed in 1867. Escanaba was incorporated as a Village in 1866 and it became a City is 1883. "Escanaba" is a Chippewa word for flat rock. [MPN]
The Peninsula Railway (C&NW) built north from Escanaba in 1863-64. In 1865, the C&NW built their first ore dock at Escanaba. In 1872, the C&NW completed their line west and south of Escanaba, reaching Menominee and points south. In 1897, the E&LS was constructed north through Gladstone, Wells and on to Channing. This line was used extensively by the Milwaukee Road to reach Escanaba ore docks from the mines they served. The Soo Line, which never actually entered Escanaba on their own line, built through the area (Gladstone) in 1887. |