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Station: Owendale, MI
Owendale was settled as a logging town on southwest Huron County around 1877. It is seven miles south of Pigeon. The town was on the Pontiac, Oxford & Northern railroad (later GTW) branch to Caseville. The Michigan Central built a branch from Vassar to Owendale (the Caro Branch) as well, which was later cut back to Bach. Owendale became a village in 1905. [MPN] In 1911, the MC had a 1,005' passing siding here, at the end of their line.
Image info: Top, a 1919 railroad valuation photo of the MC depot at Owendale. It is in pretty bad shape. [CMUL]. 2nd photo, an early view of the GTW Owendale depot with a passenger train arriving. [CMUL]
Notes
Time Line
1902. The PO&N builds a new station in Owendale. This is a joint station with the Michigan Central railroad. [MCR-1903]
1916. The Michigan Railroad Commission approves plans for signal protection at Owendale by the PO&N. [MCR-1916]
1917. The GTW had an agent here as well as a day operator. [TRT]
1960's. GTW operates an annual train from Caseville to Brush Street Station in Detroit as part of a Boblo excursion. The train typically was pulled by two diesel locomotives (brought up from Pontiac Yard) and nine passenger cars. Ticket holders were picked up along the way at Pigeon, Owendale, Cass City, North Branch and Imlay City. The train returned from Detroit the same evening. [GTWHS-2002-Spr]
Bibliography
The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:
- [AAB| = All Aboard!, by Willis Dunbar, Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids ©1969.
- [AAN] = Alpena Argus newspaper.
- [AARQJ] = American Association of Railroads Quiz Jr. pamphlet. © 1956
- [AATHA] = Ann Arbor Railroad Technical and Historical Association newsletter "The Double A"
- [AB] = Information provided at Michigan History Conference from Andrew Bailey, Port Huron, MI