January 9:  The Michigan Southern Railroad reaches LaPorte, Indiana from South Bend.  [MCR-75/EMR4]

February 20:  Michigan Southern Railroad "Old Road" reaches South Chicago at a depot on Twelth Street.  [MCR-75/MDOT]

March:  The MS&NI constructs a freight house, car shop, blacksmith shop and engine house at LaPorte, Indiana, making it a principle station of their Western Division.  [LS]

May 21:  Michigan Central Railroad reaches Chicago and uses the Illinois Central depot, a practice which continued for almost 100 years.  [MCR-75/MDOT/AAD]

A 4-mile long railroad is built from White Pigeon north to Constantine by the Kalamazoo & White Pigeon.  It is leased to the Lakeshore in 1864.  [MCR-75/AAD]

May 22:  Michigan Southern Railroad reaches Chicago from South Chicago.  [MCR-75/DWS]

May 31:  The Detroit and Pontiac Railway, having been "T"-railed to Pontiac, opens for service.  The Detroit terminal is located at dock property which the railroad had purchased at the foot of Brush Street.  Until this time, the railroad deadended at Gratiot Avenue.  [MRC-6/1973]

Last strap rails eliminated on state railroads.  [MDOT]

Michigan Central passenger trains operate at 18 miles per hour.  [AAD]

The Danforth, Cooke & Company is founded and builds steam-powered rotary snowplows.  [SAM]

Minesota (spelled with one "n") mine opens.  [MSL]