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Detroit came to being following a
succession of Indian Villages along the straits of the Detroit
River. The present city was founded in 1701 by the French
and was first called Fort Pontchartrain due Detroit. The
name was shortened to Detroit in 1751. The U.S. occupied the
town in 1796 and the first post office was created in 1803 (the
first post office in Michigan). Detroit was incorporated as
a town in 1802, and as a city in 1815.
A number of
Villages were annexed into the City of Detroit, including Delray,
North Detroit, Oakwood, Springwells, and Woodmere. Some,
including Highland Park and Hamtramck, remained their own seperate
cities, completely surrounded by Detroit. [MPN]
Railroads first
came to Detroit in 1837 when the Detroit and Pontiac (later DGH&M)
built from the river at Brush Street northwest to Pontiac. In the
next year, 1838, the Central Line was built from downtown out to
Dearborn and beyond. These two lines comprised Detroit's
railroads for the next 12 years.
In 1855, the
Michigan Central (DM&T) built from West Detroit south to Monroe
and Toledo. Two years later, in 1857, the Lake Shore &
Michigan Southern built a parallel line north from Toledo to
Detroit, via Delray, West Detroit, and Beaubien to the Grand
Trunk's Brush Street station. The LSMS, under Vanderbilt
family control, continued to use Brush Street until after the MCRR
depot was built. In 1859, GT interests built their line
south from Port Huron to West Detroit, via Milwaukee Jct.
Railroad
building took another 12 years off, when the Detroit, Lansing &
Northern (later Pere Marquette) built their line from West Detroit
to Lansing, via Oak in 1871. They initially used the MCRR
depot facilities at Third Street until the Fort Street Union
Station was built. The following year (1872) the Detroit &
Bay City (Michigan Central) built from Bay City Jct. north to Bay
City, via Beaubien, Milwaukee Jct., North Yard and beyond.
Their line paralleled the GTW south of Milwaukee Jct. In
1874, the Detroit Manufacturer's Railroad was built southeast from
Belt Line Jct. to the river front.
In 1881, the
Wabash came to town via Oakwood, Delray, West Detroit and
terminating at Brush Street. In 1892, the DL&N (PM) built
their cut off from Oak to Fort Street Union Station (via Delray).
The Wabash passenger trains began using this line to reach the
Fort Street Union Station.
In 1897, the
predessor to the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton entered the Detroit
area via Flat Rock, and River Rouge through what later became Zug
Island, and terminating in the Village of Delray. In 1903,
the Detroit & Toledo Shore Line also was built between Dearoad
(River Rouge) and Toledo. The D&TSL was owned by the GTW and
Nickel Plate, and had trackage rights over the Wabash north of
Delray. It never ran passenger trains.
In 1912, with
the coming of the Ford Rouge complex, the Michigan Central built
the Junction Yard branch from Pleasant Street in River Rouge,
north to Junction Yard in east Dearborn. From 1904 until
1911, the Detroit Terminal Railroad (owned by GTW and MC) built
from the Detroit River on the east side of Detroit, in a "belt"
line through North Yard, Highland Park, Fullerton, and then down
to Dearborn's Rouge complex on the west side.
The last major
road to enter Detroit on its own tracks was the Pennsylvania
Railroad, in 1922. This large eastern road was lured by the
auto industry, and the PRR maintained a close relationship with
Ford interests. The PRR also built at least two industrial
branches in northwest Detroit in 1923.
Finally, the
DT&I built a branch line from Flat Rock to the Ford Rouge complex
in 1923.
Time Line Summary
1837 - Detroit &
Pontiac, north from Brush St.
1838 - Central line,
west from downtown
1855 - DM&T (MC) to
Toledo from West Detroit
1857 - Lake Shore from
Toledo to Brush St.
1859 - GT - Port Huron
to Detroit
1871 - DL&N - West
Detroit to Lansing
1872 - Michigan Central
north to Bay City
1874 - Detroit
Manufacturers RR on east side
1881 - Wabash from St.
Louis to Detroit
1892 - DL&N (PM) cut off
from Oak to Fort Street
1897 - DT&I to Delray
via River Rouge
1903 - D&TSL from River
Rouge to Toledo
1912 - MC builds
Junction Yard Branch
1904-1914 - Detroit
Terminal builds belt line
1920 - PRR enters
Detroit from Carleton
1923 - DT&I to Rouge
Complex in Dearborn
1923 - PRR Belt Line in
northwest Detroit
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