Jacob Haak founded the Haak Lumber Co. in Battle Creek in the 1870's and with his sons he expanded it to be a significant producer of Michigan lumber between 1870 and 1910.
His son, Harry Haak, managed the family's lumber yard in Battle Creek, located between the Kalamazoo River and South Jefferson Street, east of the Cincinnati Northern (later DT&M) railroad.1 He was also was a city alderman.
Until 1894, family members ran logging operations north of Carey in Lake County near Luther. The family owned pine forests in Lake county, even having their own siding ("Haak" Siding) on the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad's Manistee Branch. The Haaks' had their own mill and shipped via the GR&I south, likely to an interchange with the CN at Monteith Junction, and into their Battle Creek yard among other places.
When their Lake County operations became exhausted, J.A. Haak & Sons bought 9,000 acres of forest land from the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw railroad (lessee to the Michigan Central railroad) in Cheboygan County. By 1905 this increased to a collective 23.4 square miles (north and east of Wolverine - see red areas on map below). The JL&S had received land grants from the state and federal governments for building their line to Mackinaw and were selling it to recoup their construction costs and to provide logging revenue for the railroad.
Haak & Sons established a sawmill and related facilities at a new town called Haakwood2, two miles north of Wolverine along the MCRR Mackinaw Branch in Cheboygan County. The MC established a wye here and began construction of a logging branch in the valley into timber lands.
Image info: Left, a view of land owned by the Haak Lumber Co. (in Red), and remaining land owned by the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw railroad (in Yellow, lessee to the Michigan Central) in 1902. [Cheboygan plat maps, drawn by Dale Berry]
Logging branches were often built as a cooperative effort between railroads and logging companies. These arrangements depended on the loggers to provide free right-of-way and wooden ties. The railroad provided the rail, locomotives, rolling stock and sometimes a telephone or telegraph line. The railroad benefited by transporting logs and finished wood products from forests and mills.
The Haaks' built their own band-saw mill for processing lumber at Haakwood, but other loggers along the branch shipped product to places like Grayling and Bay City. The Salling-Hanson & Co. was one of these companies.
The Haakwood branch began construction in 1900 and wasn't a "straight shot". Far from it. It meandered through valleys, around hills, and rising up to fifty feet in some locations. By staying in the valleys, the logs could be dragged down-hill for rail car loading. Many of these hills around the valley were over 200 feet above the railroad right-of-way.
The first section of the branch was completed 11 miles northeast to Afton, with an additional 8 miles built to a place named Thornwald in 1907. At least 25 short branches and spurs were also built off the Haakwood branch and there were passing sidings at Saddler’s and Afton. [MRL]
Image info: Left another view of the map with land ownership removed. Note the Detroit & Mackinac railway in red to the right, including the LaGrand Branch. [Dale Berry drawing]
The few photos of the branch which exist today suggest that it was reasonably well built for a logging branch. But the railroad had its troubles from time to time. Some because of the railroad itself, and some due to the aftermath of the massive logging around it.
The headquarters at Haakwood was built up quickly by the logging company. In addition to the band mill, the company constructed a stave mill here. The company town was also built on the Sturgeon River which allowed it to receive pine logs from the south from loggers using the river for transportation. By the peak of its operation, Haakwood had electric service, a large office building and what appears to be a large dormitory for staff. The MC had sidings here in addition to its wye.
From the beginning, forest fires were an annual problem. Logging companies clear cut forests, cutting logs to fit rail cars, leaving tree tops, limbs, leaves, pine needles, and cones on the ground. When combined with low humidity and gusty winds, these cutover forest lands became "tinderboxes".
Image info: The Haakwood Lumber Company buildings at Haakwood. One appears to be an office building and the second a dormitory. [Central Michigan University Library]
The Haaks' knew they were at risk as early as 1905 when forest fires were reported at the nearby Wylie Buell Lumber Co. camps along the Haakwood branch. Whole logs and railroad cars waiting on sidings burned in the fires. Fires continued with unabated fury for nearly thirty-six hours and losses were to be considerable, as reported by the Detroit Free Press.
As the D&M built their LeGrand branch west towards Indian River from Tower to reach logging lands, they apparently crossed Haak land. At the same time, the MC Haakwood Branch was quickly circling around the D&M and the little town of LeGrand to reach Haak properties. The Haak Lumber Company obtained an injunction against the D&M in Cheboygan circuit court, which stopped the D&M's advancement further west (see map).
The Haaks' were proud of their successful operation and in 1904 welcomed a Michigan Lumberman's Association excursion train of Pullman sleeper cars from Detroit. It left the city at 2:00 a.m. arriving in Grayling later that afternoon. A local band met the party at the Grayling depot and escorted them to Salling, Hanson & Co.'s clubrooms, where refreshments were served. The MC provided an extra engine and in spite of the February snow, the visitors landed at Haakwood 45 miles north of Grayling. The Haak Lumber Company served dinner to the guests and afterward, entertainment and addressees were given. The group slept overnight in railroad cars and then returned the next day to Grayling, where Salling, Hanson & Company again entertained. The temperature was noted as 10 degrees above zero, but the weather was clear and the occasion generally enjoyable. The group arrived back in Detroit the following morning and the trip to Haakwood was deemed a success and reported favorably in numerous newspapers. [DFP-1904-0205]
Image info: The Haakwood Mill at Haakwood before the fire in 1904. [Detroit Free Press]
Only six days later, a fire destroyed the Haakwood Lumber Company's big mill, causing a loss estimated at the time at $160,000. Company employees as well as many people from nearby Wolverine responded to the alarm, but in spite of their efforts the mill was completely destroyed. The company carried about $50,000 insurance but the mill was never rebuilt. The Haak's reverted to shipping to other sawmills and selling their stock of maple flooring, but soon discontinued that business. Operations were moved out-of-state.
This calamity was the first of many associated with the Haakwood Branch. There would be more.
The Haak family was also having problems back in Battle Creek.
Henry Haak, the son who managed the family's lumber yard and was a city alderman, was accused of inflating prices on lumber he sold to the City of Battle Creek. He was said to have approved his own invoices as chair of the city's bridge committee. He was asked to resign as alderman but refused. The city sued him for $2,000 and he was charged criminally. He proclaimed his innocence but lost the civil case, which he immediately appealed. As a part of the appeal, Haak accused the city police chief of perjury, a charge which was not substantiated. The appeal went all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court where he lost again.
Then in February, 1903, the married Haak had an affair with a married woman whom he employed at the lumber company. The woman's husband discovered the affair and went to the police, accusing Haak of adultery. The police obtained a search warrant, and watched as Haak entered the woman's home. After a bit of time, the police entered the house and listened outside her bedroom door.
The police "remained breathlessly still, with ears opened and wits working", said the local newspaper. Actions were overheard by the detectives and at just the opportune moment, "Patrolman Miller made a run and ended up against the locked bedroom door with such force that it opened without obstruction. Like a flash, four men shot into the room and their suspicions had been correct". The warrant of the irate husband was "fully justified", said the newspaper3.
Haak struggled to get away and was handcuffed. He was allowed to secure his "pantaloons" and was released from the handcuffs. A police wagon was summoned and Haak and the woman were brought to the police station where they posted $1,000 and $500 bond respectively on the adultery charge and were released. Haak's father apparently posted the bond. The adultery charge was later settled out of court.
Back on the Haakwood branch, more tragic news was received about a Michigan Central brakeman, A.S. Wright, who was killed on the branch while coupling cars. Wright likely worked on a branch line collector train, assembling logging cars for transport to Bay City. He was 21 years of age and lived at West Bay City.4
Fast forward to the Summer of 1911, forest fires along the branch near Haakwood burned an overhead bridge on the Michigan Central, as reported in the Detroit Free Press.
Then on July 11 of the same year, a logging train on the Haakwood branch reported that forest fires were gaining headway rapidly. The train had just crossed another burning bridge when the structure fell. Another logging train was following on the forest side of the burned bridge and there were fears entertained for the safety of the crew. The report also noted that on the Pigeon river branch of the MC just south of Haakwood, a logging crew reported being cut off by burned bridges.5 These bridges, constructed of timber, were likely what we would now call a trestle. Coated with creosote, they easily succumbed to fire.
After 1911, reports of fire seemed to subside.
Image info: An early view of the Campbell Stone Company, just north of Afton. Rock from this quarry was transported on the branch. [Tinder Collection, University of Michigan Library]
In another major catastrophe in 1920, the largest non-timber shipper on the Haakwood branch, the Campbell Stone Company quarry in Afton was destroyed by fire with a loss of $100,000. The fire started in the lime kiln and spread through a nearby gasoline tank, causing an explosion. One hundred men were out off work.6
Then in 1924, a broken rail on the Haakwood branch near Wolverine caused the engine of a logging train to leave the rails and turn over twice. Much track was torn up but no one received severe injuries. Had it not been that the train was running slowly loss of life might have resulted.7 The railroad sent a wrecker crane from West Bay City, to pick up the locomotive, tender and cars and put them back on the repaired rail.8
Image info: The aftermath of the 1924 wreck on the Haakwood Branch. A wrecker was brought up from the Bay City Wenona roundhouse to clear the wreck. [Tinder Collection, University of Michigan Library]
By the 1930's, time was running out for the Haakwood branch. Its namesakes had left the area twenty years before. Pine and hardwood forests along the branch line were completely logged over, the stone quarry had blown up, and Afton, the only town along the branch never really became much of a town. The branch lasted longer than most logging branches but trucks and state highways took over most transportation needs.
The affiliated Brady Branch was abandoned in 1925 and in the midst of a national economic depression the New York Central railroad applied in 1936 for permission to abandon the Haakwood Branch, which the ICC immediately approved. The following year, a crew was sent in to remove the rail.
1. Located near 42.317239, -85.187872 in the current Battle Creek.
2. Haakwood was located where the current Haakwood State Forest Campground is located today. It is on North Straits Highway, Wolverine. 45.298298, -84.612360
4. The Detroit Free Press, August 10, 1904.
5. Escanaba Daily Press, July 13, 1911.
6. The Flint Journal, June 8, 1920. Note, the quarry was eventually rebuilt and is a major producer today of gravel.
7. Grand Rapids Press, January 19, 1924
8. Ironically, the railroad wrecker from West Bay City, was built across the Saginaw River in (East) Bay City at the Industrial Works, which built the majority of large railroad wreckers in the United States. The Michigan Central kept these wreckers "at the ready" in several Michigan terminals to be summoned at a moment's notice in case of derailments. They were staffed by shop crews at the major roundhouses.
The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:
