Michigan Railroad Map Question

[DonHarding]

Hello all,

I have a copy of Collier's World Atlas & Gazzete from 1935, which features many beautiful maps of all the US States and various other countries. The book has a gorgeous rail map of Michigan, which shows a line from Ontonagon, heading Southward to White Pine. I was rather confused, since I have never seen any other rail map showing this line existed. I know the White Pine Sub comes from Wisconsin into Michigan, up from Lake Gogebic to White Pine. But the map in the book shows a direct route from Ontonagon to White Pine. Can anyone confirm or deny its existence? I looked on Google Maps and couldn't find the old right of way...

[Standard Railfan]

I believe that the Ontonagon Railroad built southward from Ontonagon to Iron River Jct. around 1905. The line was later extended to White Pine and absorbed into the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, & Pacific (Milwaukee Road) around 1917. The line was abandoned in 1933 or so.

The White Pine sub of the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic (late Soo) was constructed c.1953 with the construction of the White Pine copper mine.

A tidbit appears in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia: ... n_Railroad

A little more information appears in the book Michigan Railroads and Railroad Companies on page 24. From Google Books http://books.google.com/books?id=JtDpaF ... ad&f=false

[DonHarding]

I believe that the Ontonagon Railroad built southward from Ontonagon to Iron River Jct. around 1905. The line was later extended to White Pine and absorbed into the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, & Pacific (Milwaukee Road) around 1917. The line was abandoned in 1933 or so.

The White Pine sub of the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic (late Soo) was constructed c.1953 with the construction of the White Pine copper mine.

A tidbit appears in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia: ... n_Railroad

A little more information appears in the book Michigan Railroads and Railroad Companies on page 24. From Google Books http://books.google.com/books?id=JtDpaF ... ad&f=false

Thank you so much for this helpful information. I really, really appreciate it!

[XGB]

Hello,
The Ontonagon RR main was from Ontonagon west to Green then south. They had a branch west from Green to Iron River Junction. The Milwaukee had trackage rights over the Ontonagon RR from Ontonagon to Iron River Junction (the Ontonagon was never controlled by the St Paul rather by the Greenwood lumber Co). From Iron River Junction to White Pine the St Paul built their own tracks to serve the original White Pine Mine (the original mine being an entity of Calumet & Hecla).
Although essentially a logging line, one of the more interesting commodities hauled over the Ontonagon RR where loads of sheep for the Greenwood Lumber Company ranch at Green.
Cheers,
Mark Worrall

[Standard Railfan]

Hello,
The Ontonagon RR main was from Ontonagon west to Green then south. They had a branch west from Green to Iron River Junction. The Milwaukee had trackage rights over the Ontonagon RR from Ontonagon to Iron River Junction (the Ontonagon was never controlled by the St Paul rather by the Greenwood lumber Co). From Iron River Junction to White Pine the St Paul built their own tracks to serve the original White Pine Mine (the original mine being an entity of Calumet & Hecla).
Although essentially a logging line, one of the more interesting commodities hauled over the Ontonagon RR where loads of sheep for the Greenwood Lumber Company ranch at Green.
Cheers,
Mark Worrall

Thank you for the clarification Mark. I recalled there was a lumber company line involved, but I could not come up with the details.

Pat