Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1853-04-27
PORT HURON AND LAKE MICHIGAN
RAILROAD

The Northern Railroad" was one of three
principal works of internal improvement under
taken by Michigan directly after the organiza-
ton of her State government. Its route was
fixed from Port Huron on the st. Clair river, to
some point on Lake Michigan at the mouth of
Grand River, being according to actual survey,
20l miles in length. Appropriations amount
ing Gas near rs the undersigned can ascertain
from the documents within their reach) to l20,-
600 were made upon that work; the surveyors
estimates, specifications and all the preliminary
steps for the construction of the road were ta-
ken-contracts were let, and for long distances
from the termini east and west, the road was
cut, grubbed and partially graded The report
of the Engineer, Tracy McCracken, ESQ.,, (for
which see House Doc. 1888, p 1889 shows the
route for its entire length, to be exceedingly fa-
vorable for the construction of the road and that
the average cost per mile of all the excavations,
embankments, sluices gulleys, slashing clearing
and bridging, will be less than $24OO-a sum
low beyond parallel even among the cheap roads
of the west.
The financial embarrassments of the State,
soon compelled the legislature to restrict APP
preparations for internal improvements to such
works as did or could easily be made to return
at least the interest upon their cost. According.
ly, farther aid was with held, except to the Cen
tra and Southern Railroads. (then in partial OPP
eration,) and finally all idea of the construction
Of the "Norlhern Railroad" as States work,
was abandoned. In lS4l, en- appropriation of
$4,000 was made for grubbing and bridging
along this line, to render it passable wagon
road through Lapeer and Shiawassee counties.
In lS43, an act was passed, formly razeeing the
Northern Railroad" and appropriating all the
nonresident highway taxes for distance OF
three miles on either side thereof to the i'm
provement of its less pretending successor, the
Northern Wagon Road" This act was re.
pealed in l847. In l848, an appropriation OF
10000 acres of land was made to the wagon
road and expended thereon under the direction
of commissioners appointed by the State.
In lS47, the sport Huron and Lake Michigan
Railroad Company" was Incorporated, the State
relinquished to the company, the so called line
OF the Northern rail and wagon roads, and al
her rights privileges and immunities, to such
portions of the line Of said road as the company
may deem proper to use in constructing theil
road" During the interval between the pro-
ecting of the" Northern Railroad" by the State
and the incorporation Of this company, and es
pecially between that time and the present, great
changes have taken place in the counties divided
ny us une, aUu throughout the otate ana c0un
try. The population of Michigan has nearly
trippled-ond, notwithstanding the greater diff
Guilty of access to markets, the greatest increase
has been along the line of the "Port Huron
and Lake Michigan Railroad" The Contra
and Southern roads, having passed into the
hands of private companies, have been compet
ed for their entire length-and few more profit
able roads can be named in the United States
Lines of railroad, too, have been built in neigh
boring States and the Canadas. and others are
in progress or projected it is believed
renders the g. Port Huron and Lake Michigan
Railroad" an essential link in the chains of thor
oughfares connecting the East and the West
and will make it second in Importance to no 9th
er work.
In local business, this road would certainl,
excel any other in the State, if population is any
Ecriterion, as in 1850 the Southern tier of coun
ties contained population of lO4,746 the Cen
trail, of 12S,796; and the Northern counties OF
1928. Besides the preponderance of popula
ton, there are vast products of lumbers COAL salt
iron and gypsum, which the others can never af
ford. These counties, too, are increasing il
population in far greater ratio than the others
as may be seen by the following figures, compi
! led from cepaue rafurno.