Au Train, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Au Train is an unincorporated community located in Au Train Township
of Alger County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It is in the north of the western section of the Hiawatha National Forest
. Au Train is at 46°25′49"N 86°50′12"W. The ZIP code
is 49806 and the FIPS place code is 04440.
The community sits at the foot of the Au Train River
, where it empties into the Au Train Bay
of Lake Superior
. Its name derived from the French word for "dragging," in reference to travelers being able to drag their canoes along both the river and shore. The area was a landmark for local Native Americans, as the river mouth was the end point of a portage trail between Lake Michigan
and Lake Superior.
In 1861, the river became a logging run to Lake Superior, with major logging occurring well into the 1880s.
The village of Au Train was founded in 1881 when the Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad
was building east from Marquette
, and was chosen as the county seat in 1885 before being replaced by Munising. Two structures within the community are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- the Au Train River Bridge over old M-94, and the Paulson House.
Au Train Township, Michigan
Au Train Township is a civil township of Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 1,172.-Communities:...
of Alger County
Alger County, Michigan
Alger County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,601. Its county seat is Munising. The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located within the county.-History:...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is in the north of the western section of the Hiawatha National Forest
Hiawatha National Forest
Hiawatha National Forest is a National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan in the United States. Commercial logging is conducted in some areas. The United States Forest Service administers this National Forest; it is physically divided into two subunits, commonly called the...
. Au Train is at 46°25′49"N 86°50′12"W. The ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 49806 and the FIPS place code is 04440.
The community sits at the foot of the Au Train River
Au Train River
The Au Train River is a river in Au Train Township, Alger County, Michigan.-References:*...
, where it empties into the Au Train Bay
Au Train Bay
Au Train Bay is a small bay, approximately 4 mi across, on the southern shore of Lake Superior at , along the coast of Alger County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.The town of Au Train sits along the middle of the south shore of the bay....
of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. Its name derived from the French word for "dragging," in reference to travelers being able to drag their canoes along both the river and shore. The area was a landmark for local Native Americans, as the river mouth was the end point of a portage trail between 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...
and Lake Superior.
In 1861, the river became a logging run to Lake Superior, with major logging occurring well into the 1880s.
The village of Au Train was founded in 1881 when the Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad
Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad
The Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad was a land grant railroad that was built and operated briefly in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Incorporated in 1879, the -long railroad began operations in 1881. It was intended to help the economic development of a region of...
was building east from Marquette
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
, and was chosen as the county seat in 1885 before being replaced by Munising. Two structures within the community are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
- the Au Train River Bridge over old M-94, and the Paulson House.
External links
- http://www.algercounty.com/autrain.htm
- Alger County Republican, a newspaper printed from 1888-1896.