The Beginning: The Narrow Gauge Railway
In 1881, Henry Starke began construction of a narrow gauge railway to carry logs to early Arcadia, Michigan. Initially the railway ran between Arcadia and a place about five miles east known as Malcolm.
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Arcadia Engine
in the 1880's
This photo shows
the engine and log cars from
Henry Starke's narrow gauge railroad,
which was used in the 1880's primarily for lumbering.
--
Photo courtesy of Ruth Starke Burkhead
"[In the earliest days
]the rails were made of wood with a steel strip on top. The locomotive was
'homemade' and had an upright boiler. It burned slab wood from the mill. It
had no brakes, so when the locomotive and cars loaded with logs began the
trip back to Arcadia, it was necessary for a man with a two by four lever to
be stationed between each car to brake the train."
-- Arcadia 1880-1980
The Trestle
Near Arcadia
About 2.5 miles east of Arcadia, the engine in this photo is pulling
flat cars loaded with logs on their way to the Starke sawmill.
--
Photo courtesy of Ruth Starke Burkhead
The Starke Sawmill in Arcadia, Michigan
The sawmill at the north end of Lake Arcadia cut locally harvested logs
into boards and other wood products. Note the railway flatcar on the right.
--
Postcard Photograph. L. L. Cook Co., Milwaukee.
The Route
from Arcadia
to Malcolm
The map shows the route of the narrow gauge railway from Arcadia on the
left to Malcolm on the right. In the elevation chart, note the rugged
terrain about 2/3 of the way to Malcolm. That is the location of the
trestle.
--
John W. Martin. "Malcolm: A Station on the Arcadia and Betsey River
Railway: Manistee County, MI"
Starke Land & Lumber Company Railway
-- Photo courtesy of Arcadia Area Historical Museum
The Standard Gauge Railway
In 1893, timber supplies within reach of the narrow gauge railway were dwindling, shipping by boat from Arcadia only reached ports only on Lake Michigan, and business in Arcadia was growing. So when Henry Starke consolidated his holdings into the Henry Starke Land and Lumber Company, the new corporation began work on a standard gauge railroad that would connect the railway to the rest of the world.
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in Arcadia
This photo shows the train on the east side of Arcadia Lake just south
of the sawmill shown in the background. The sawmill was replaced by the
Arcadia Furniture Company's factory in 1906.
--
Photo courtesy of Bonnie Hughes
1894 Map of Arcadia
This map shows the location of the rails for the Arcadia & Betsey River
Railway in Arcadia. This Y-shaped layout allowed the train to turn around.
Note the pencil drawn location of the Starke Sawmill at the north end of
Lake Arcadia.
--
Map courtesy of Ruth Starke Burkhead
Conductor's Badge
-- Badge courtesy of Ruth Starke Burkhead
The railway grew.
By September of 1895, the A&BRR extended 17.5 miles to Henry, where it connected with the Chicago and West Michigan Railway. By December of 1896, the A&BRR reached Copemish where it connected with the Ann Arbor Railroad, and passenger service was added. By 1899, Arcadia had passenger service twice a day and carried 3,000 passengers and the mail. From 1906 to 1936, the train carried furniture manufactured by the Arcadia Furniture Company in addition to the produce and other local goods encouraged by the expanded market.
The surrounding area grew too.
Stations such as Malcolm and Sorrenson were built along the railway. Sidings and warehouses were built to support the collection of local produce and other products. People were hired to run the stations, collect goods, prepare produce for shipping. The railroad right of way provided a ready-made path for telephone lines (in 1897 between Arcadia and Copemish) and power lines (in 1919 from a dam on the Betsey River).
Leaving
the Station
in Arcadia
This photo shows a passenger train traveling south along the northeast
shore of Lake Arcadia. The building behind the engine is the roundhouse.
--
Photo courtesy of Bonnie Hughes
The Demise of the A&BRR
During the 1930s, as the economy slowed and roads and trucking improved, the railway was used less and less to ship goods. By 1936, the last full year of operation, the railway brought in only $3.00 in passenger revenue. In 1937, the tracks were torn up leaving nothing but the roadbeds to mark the passing of the Arcadia & Betsey River Railway.
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Engines 4 and 5 at Henry in 1939
When the A&BRR discontinued service, these engines were stored in Henry
until they were used for scrap metal for World War II.
--
C. T. Stoner Photographs and Papers, Box 1, Folder AA5R-AG, Bentley
Historical Library, University of Michigan.