Ionia and Lansing Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Ionia and Lansing Rail Road is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Michigan
in the 1860s and 1870s. The company incorporated on November 13, 1865; the investors hailed primarily from Lansing
, Ionia
and Portland
. The original charter called for a 34 miles (54.7 km) from Ionia to Lansing; on January 13, 1869 this was amended with a much grander vision: a 125 miles (201.2 km) line from Lansing to the mouth of the Pentwater River
at Pentwater
, on the shores of Lake Michigan
.
In late 1869 the I&L opened a line between Lansing and Ionia; the first trains ran in December. In September 1870 the line extended further north and west past Belding
to Greenville
. That year the road was bought out by James F. Joy and other Detroit
investors who already controlled the Detroit, Howell & Lansing
; on March 16, 1871 the two companies consolidated to form the Detroit, Lansing & Lake Michigan.
The I&L's finances appear to have been rocky throughout its short history. As the author of a study on the Pere Marquette Railway
noted:
Even as late as 1900, when the Pere Marquette consolidated the I&L's successor, the Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western, it assumed some of the old debt load.
Very little of the I&L's original Lansing–Greenville line exists today. In 1942 the Pere Marquette abandoned the Warden–Kidd segment; between 1972 and 1986 the C&O
, successor the Pere Marquette, abandoned the Warden–Eagle segment, leaving only the Kidd–Greenville and Grand Ledge–Lansing segments. The latter is owned by CSX
, while the former is owned by the Mid-Michigan Railroad
, a Rail America company. In December 2007 Mid-Michigan petitioned the Surface Transportation Board
to abandon the Lowell–Greenville section of its line, which includes Greenville–Kidd. The grade is to be converted to a rail trail
.
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"....
in the 1860s and 1870s. The company incorporated on November 13, 1865; the investors hailed primarily from Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
, Ionia
Ionia, Michigan
Ionia is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Ionia County, Michigan, United States. The population was 11,394 at the 2010 census. Every late July it hosts what may be the world's largest free-admission fair...
and Portland
Portland, Michigan
Portland is a city in Ionia County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,789. The city is situated in the south central portion of Portland Township, but is administratively autonomous.-Geography:...
. The original charter called for a 34 miles (54.7 km) from Ionia to Lansing; on January 13, 1869 this was amended with a much grander vision: a 125 miles (201.2 km) line from Lansing to the mouth of the Pentwater River
Pentwater River
-References:*...
at Pentwater
Pentwater, Michigan
Pentwater is a village in Oceana County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 958 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Pentwater Township. Pentwater is home to Mears State Park. The name Pentwater comes from Pent or Penned up waters...
, on the shores of 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...
.
In late 1869 the I&L opened a line between Lansing and Ionia; the first trains ran in December. In September 1870 the line extended further north and west past Belding
Belding, Michigan
Belding is a city in Ionia County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,877 at the 2000 census. Belding is a small rural city surrounded almost entirely by farmland...
to Greenville
Greenville, Michigan
Greenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. Portions of the county are associated with the Western region while others are more closely associated with the Central Michigan region. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census...
. That year the road was bought out by James F. Joy and other Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
investors who already controlled the Detroit, Howell & Lansing
Detroit, Howell and Lansing Railroad
The Detroit, Howell and Lansing Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in central and southeast Michigan during the early 1870s. The company formed on March 29, 1870 through the consolidation of the Detroit and Howell and the Howell and Lansing...
; on March 16, 1871 the two companies consolidated to form the Detroit, Lansing & Lake Michigan.
The I&L's finances appear to have been rocky throughout its short history. As the author of a study on the Pere Marquette Railway
Pere Marquette Railway
The Pere Marquette Railway was a railroad that operated in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada. The railroad had trackage in the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and the Canadian province of Ontario. Its primary connections included Buffalo; Toledo; and Chicago.The company was...
noted:
The Ionia and Lansing Railroad (sic) had difficulty in getting sufficient money to finish its construction and its credit was so bad that it received $770,000 of cash out of a bond issue with a par value of $1,820,000. Later on, in order to complete the line, it had to take on a second mortgage on its property from Lansing to Greenville.
Even as late as 1900, when the Pere Marquette consolidated the I&L's successor, the Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western, it assumed some of the old debt load.
Very little of the I&L's original Lansing–Greenville line exists today. In 1942 the Pere Marquette abandoned the Warden–Kidd segment; between 1972 and 1986 the C&O
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
, successor the Pere Marquette, abandoned the Warden–Eagle segment, leaving only the Kidd–Greenville and Grand Ledge–Lansing segments. The latter is owned by CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, while the former is owned by the Mid-Michigan Railroad
Mid-Michigan Railroad
The Mid-Michigan Railroad is a railroad owned by RailAmerica, having been acquired in 2000. It operates of track in Michigan.-History:The company incorporated in 1987, for the purpose of acquiring railway lines from the CSX Corporation. The company was owned at inception by RailTex, a Texas-based...
, a Rail America company. In December 2007 Mid-Michigan petitioned the Surface Transportation Board
Surface Transportation Board
The Surface Transportation Board of the United States is a bipartisan, decisionally-independent adjudicatory body organizationally housed within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The STB was established in 1996 to assume some of the regulatory functions that had been administered by the...
to abandon the Lowell–Greenville section of its line, which includes Greenville–Kidd. The grade is to be converted to a rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
.