| The Ann Arbor depot in Cadillac is said to have been
built in 1913, after considerable discussion by the city commision about
the conditions at the old wooden depot. The old depot was moved to
Temple.
The Toledo, Ann Arbor & Northern Railroad built through
Cadillac in 1887. After an 1895 reorganization, the road was renamed the
Ann Arbor Railroad. The line was completed to Frankfort in 1896, by acquisition
of a small independant line between Copimish and Frankfort. In 1896 the railroad
started a very successful carferry route across Lake Michigan to Manitowoc,
WI. Over the years the Ann Arbor earned its living as a bridge line for east-west
traffic. Less than 10% of its traffic was for on-line customers.
Was it a little local pressure that led the Ann Arbor to
build such a substantial and attractive depot? While most Ann Arbor depots
were crude wooden boxes, the Cadillac depot was built of brick with
terra cotta and cut stone
trim. As built, it was a very attractive
building. Over the years, doors, windows, and trim were changed, resulting
in a building not quite as pleasing as the original. Compare the photos to
the postcard view at the bottom of the page.
In 1973 the Ann Arbor went bankrupt. To retain rail service
to northern Michigan, the state bought the northern part of the Ann Arbor's
tracks. The route , including the carferry, was operated by different contractors
over the next few years. In 1982, the state drastically cut back its railroad
subsidies, and the Ann Arbor carferry service ended. Tracks remain in service
through Cadillac, as far as Yuma, site of a sand mine, but the far west end
of the Ann Arbor Railroad has been abandoned. |
