| The Clare depot was built by the Pere Marquette and
Ann Arbor Railroads in 1898 at a total cost of $6585. The Queen Ann style
depot has wings paralleling each set of tracks. There are two bay windows,
presumably for agents of both railroads. The door and window arrangement
suggests waiting rooms and freight rooms for both roads also.
The Pere Marquette built through Clare around 1870. This
was part of the original PM land grant railroad.
The Toledo, Ann Arbor & Northern Railroad built its
line through Clare around 1885. 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.
Passenger service on the Ann Arbor ended in 1950. It lasted
a bit longer on the Pere Marquette line, by then part of the C &
O. However, this line was abandoned sometime in the 1990's. The diamond in
front of the depot remains, allowing service to an industrial customer just
west of the crossing. The former Ann Arbor tracks are used by the Tuscola
& Saginaw Bay RR and the depot is used by them as a maintenance office
and for storage. |
