The Allegan and Lake Shore Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in Allegan County, Michigan

Allegan County, Michigan

-Interstates:* I-196* I-196 Business Loop serves the city of Holland.-US highways:* US-31* US-131-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-40* M-89* M-179* M-222-Allegan County Intercounty Highways:* A-2* A-37* A-42* A-45-Demographics:...

 during the 1880s. The company incorporated on May 30, 1883, by W.G. Dewing & Sons, to construct and operate 22 miles (35.4 km) line from Allegan

Allegan, Michigan

Allegan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,838. It is the county seat of Allegan County. The city lies within Allegan Township, but is administratively autonomous....

 westward to Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...

. The primary purpose of this line was to support local timber

Timber

Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...

 operations. On April 15, 1885, the A&LS completed a narrow gauge

Narrow gauge

A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...

  5 miles (8 km) stretch from the Kalamazoo River

Kalamazoo River

The Kalamazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is long from the junction of its North and South branches to its mouth at Lake Michigan, with a total length extending to when one includes the South Branch...

at Allegan to Swan Creek; the line went no further and was abandoned in 1889, timber resources in the area being exhausted.