How the Pere Marquette Railway Impacted Grand Rapids

by Tom Buettner

Tom grew up surrounded with railroads in Chicago. Therefore, his interest in trains should come as no surprise. One of his first contacts that he had with the Pere Marquette (C&O) was when he took the train to the Interlochen Music Camp on a high school music scholarship. Later, a job move to Wisconsin enabled Tom to watch the railroad ferries from the C&O operate in Milwaukee, Manitowoc, and Kewanee. When Tom and his family moved to Grand Rapids in 1985, his interest in Michigan railroads in general, and the Pere Marquette Railway in particular, was renewed. He became active in several West Michigan railroad clubs. The Pere Marquette Railroad was created from the merger of three railroad systems in January 1, 1900.

The Pere Marquette Railway was formed in April 1917 when the system was reincorporated after a reorganization. Its rails ran throughout Michigan and as far south as La Crosse, Indiana and to southern Ontario. The latter included trackage rights as far east as Niagara Falls and Bridgeburg, Along with these expansions, the Pere Marquette also had car ferry operations at Ludington, connecting with Milwaukee, Manitowoc and Kewaunee, Wisconsin. It also took over the Manistee & North Eastern Railroad in December 1931, giving it additional lines in northern Michigan. At its peak, the Pere Marquette was Michigan’s largest railroad. The Pere Marquette Railway came to an end when it merged with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad on June 6, 1947.

It was because of this rich history, plus the previous experiences, that Tom got interested in this particular railroad. The November program brings the Pere Marquette Railway “closer to home”, emphasizing the impact that it had on Grand Rapids. A sampling of areas to be covered are:

1) The Pere Marquette’s predecessor railroad was instrumental in bringing the Dutch Settlers to the Hudsonville area in the 1870’s.

2) The Pere Marquette was a heavy user of insulated box cars and reefers, hauling large amounts of celery out of the Hudsonville area, cherries from the Grand Traverse Bay region, and onions from Newaygo County.

3) From its beginning, the railroad was closely associated with the furniture industry. A special named train, “Furniture City Special”, was the key link between the Grand Rapids furniture manufacturers and the Chicago Furniture Mart.

4) During WWII, the Pere Marquette moved heavy wartime traffic on a tight nine-and-a-half hour schedule between Chicago and Detroit, via Grand Rapids.

5) Pere Marquette had nine other named trains that serviced passengers going to Chicago, Muskegon, Traverse City, Detroit, and Bay View.

6) After WWII the Pere Marquette introduced the first all-new postwar lightweight streamliners - the “Pere Marquettes”. They provided special conveniences for the passengers and frequent service between Detroit and Grand Rapids, and later Chicago

7) The Pere Marquette introduced “Roadrailers”, truck trailers that could be pulled behind freight or passenger trains without the use of trailer flatbeds. Service provided Grand Rapidians an opportunity to catch one of several excursion steam boats at either Ottawa Beach or Macatawa Park for a pleasant day trip.

8) The Pere Marquette gave passengers access to the port city of Ludington, as well as neighboring communities including Benton Harbor, South Haven, Holland, Grand Haven, Muskegon, Hart, Pentwater, Fremont, and White Cloud.

9) The railroad’s connection with Holland brought in the Holland passengers to enjoy the attractions of Grand Rapids.

10) The Pere Marquette service was not limited to out-of-area services. It also provided service to Oakdale Park and East Paris. A Ramona Branch serviced the resort and freight needs at Reeds Lake.

11) The Wyoming Yard, the heart of the Pere Marquette Railway, was located at the convergence of lines connecting Grand Rapids with Chicago, Detroit and Petoskey. It provided jobs for thousands of workers.

About the Author

Tom, a resident of Caledonia, Michigan, is noted in West Michigan for presenting programs addressing a multitude of topics—each well-researched—each one presented in a refreshing manor.

“How the Pere Marquette Railway Impacted Grand Rapids”, Thursday, November 12, 2015, 7:00 p.m., presented by Tom Buettner.