Station: Waters, MI

Waters was settled about 1873, the location of a sawmill settlement. The railroad came through and established a station in 1876. This town, in southern Otsego county is at the northern end of Bradford Lake and was called by that name until 1885. [MPN]

The town was created by the Wright-Wells Lumber Company. The original town was called Wrights, and then changed to Waters. It is located about 10 miles south of Gaylord. The Stephens Lumber Co. took over these operations and operated until 1916.

Photo Info: Top, the depot at Waters, MI. Note two different block signals, one across from the station and one up the track a bit next to another railroad building. [CMUL]. 2nd photo, a Michigan Central section crew poses with their hand car somewhere near Waters. [Mark Worrall collection]

Notes

Time Line

1886. September. Since the Stephens Lumber Co. came into possession of the saw mill plant at Waters (formerly Wright's Lake) they have planned extensive improvements which are now being carried out. A large addition, with a fine cellar, has been built to the boarding house, and all buildings - store and domiciles - are being moved across the Michigan Central track, away from the mill yard. About 40 acres more of land is being cleared for new building sites and as a protection against fire.

The mills are a quarter of a mile apart. The planing mill will be supplied by lumber carried from the mill yard by engine and cars on a track of three feet gauge running to the west side of the planning mill on the edge of a bluff. [SWC-1886-0902]

1888. July. At St. Helens, Stephens & Company new circular mill is about completed. It will have a capacity of 50,000 feet daily. A duplicate mill is being erected by the same firm at Waters which will be completed early in the fall. This will give them four good mills for next season's operations. The firm originally composed of Henry Stephens Sr., Henry Stephens Jr., and Albert Stephens, father and two sons, and operated at Fish Lake in Lapeer County. They removed to St. Helens only seven years ago. They own ¾ of all standing pine along the Mackinaw branch of the MC, and cut over 50 million feet of lumber annually at their mills, besides lath, etc. They operate logging railroads at St. Helens and Waters, and lumber the year round. [SWC-1888-0705]

1902. Henry Stephens of the Stephens Lumber company presented every married man in the village of Waters with a nice, plump Christmas turkey. Nearly half a ton of dressed birds was required to go around. [SJHP-1902-1227]

1903. January 12. Fire yesterday morning destroyed the Stephens Lumber company's round house and one large logging engine is in ruins. The car repair shop was also burned. Loss to the Stephens company is $5,000. [SAG-1903-0112]

1911. July 12. The village of Waters was saved from destruction by the rigorous work of the people there, aided by firemen from Bay City and Grayling. The fire started in the lumber piles of the Henry Stephens Lumber company and these were destroyed, but no buildings were burned, although Wednesday night the situation was reported there as hopeless. [SAG-1911-0713]

1916. Town of Waters to be a thing of the past. Everything in place of 200 is sold and will be dismantled. A Bay City firm, Helfer Brothers, has purchased from Henry Stephens & company everything in the place, including two saw mills, one planing mill, ten miles of narrow gauge railway, four locomotives, seventy-five flat cars, two miles of tramways, electric light plant, waterworks system and 60 houses. The Stephens company exhausted its standing timber supply three months ago and had no further use for its equipment. The property will be dismantled and brought to Bay City. Waters has a population of 200 and depended entirely upon the company for its prosperity. [SAG-1916-0717]

1917. The MC had a agent/operator here around the clock. [TRT]

Industry

• Henry Stephens Lumber Company. Waters was the headquarters of the Henry Stephens Lumber Company lumber yards, just south of town on Bradford Lake. The yards were served by the Michigan Central which had dozens of yard tracks here. For further information, CLICK HERE and to to pages 8 and 9 of the linked Sanborn Insurance maps.
• Wright-Wells Lumber Company.