January 1: Grand Trunk (Michigan Air Line Ry.) opens line from Ridgeway to Jackson. [MRRC]
January: Menominee Branch Railroad completes line from Menominee to Green Bay. [MRRC]
February. The C> and the M&O install an interlocking system at their crossing at McCamley Street in Battle Creek. This is the first interlocking in Michigan. Note: The Michigan Central previously installed a US&S interlocking at Hammond, IN.
Mid: Saginaw & Mt. Pleasant RR (F&PM) converted to standard gauge. [PMHS]
Mid: Saginaw, Tuscola & Huron RR builds a 9 miles to Bay Port. [PMHS]
June 9: Marquette and Western completes line from Marquette to Ishpeming. (Later leased to DSS&A). [MRRC]
June 27: The Ann Arbor Railroad is completed as far north as St. Louis. [AAD]
July 19: Paris & Pere Marquette River Railroad opens 3'1" line from Upper Paris west 16 miles. Abandoned in 1889. [MRRC]
August: Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan opens like from Owosso to St. Louis. [MRRC]
November: Paddlewheel car ferry "Lansdowne" began more than 90 years of crossings between Detroit and Windsor, the longest service of any railroad car ferry in the world. [MDOT]
November: Michigan's first mechanical interlocking plant was installed at Wasepi at the crossing of Grand Rapids & Indiana and Michigan Central Railroads. [MDOT] Note: This entry is likely incorrect. It appears that the first interlocking was installed by the C> and the M&O at McCamley Street in the City of Battle Creek in February, 1884.
Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Ry. opens line from Watersmeet to Ironwood. [MRRC]
Potts Salt and Lumber Co. opens line from McKinley southwesterly 14 miles. [MRRC]
First railroad service to Ironwood started by Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Ry. Co. [MDOT]
Cadillac & Northeastern opens 3' private logging railroad from 10 miles in length, from Cadillac to NW corner of Lake Missaukee. [MRRC]
Gogebic Range is opened for iron mining, the last range developed in Michigan. It became a major iron producer on both the Michigan and Wisconsin sides of the river. [MSL]
Grand Trunk builds depot at Gaines and Morrice. Depots continues to exist as of 1974. [IT-12/1974]
Saginaw, Tuscola and Huron Railroad builds a new board and batten depot in Elkton in 1884. The depot continues to exist in 1999, though it has been moved to a site downtown. [MRP-I]
Time line Key:
The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:
