Blog

Connecting with History -Valentin Pulido

Many prosperous communities that embrace their historic resources have a train station. Even modest stations like Menominee, Iron Mountain, and Kalkaska are sources of local pride. Train stations themselves tend in be located within enclaves of historic resources. The relationship between train stations and the communities they served is worth investigation. Much may be learned about the relationship between communities and the industries that shaped them.

Documenting the Trout Creek Depot

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a good example of the interconnection of community with industry due to its rich history of mining and lumber. The impact of these industries from the late nineteenth through early twentieth century are evident throughout the region. Transportation, particularly railroad, played an integral role in the development of the UP. By identifying the location of train depots and their respective lines, it is possible to visually represent transportation routes in conjunction with supporting communities. Furthermore, it is possible to map which parts of the region have historic resources that are being maintained and where historic resources are threatened.

I am setting out to consolidate and clarify the relationships between industry, railroad transportation, and community. To my knowledge, there is much information available on the subject, however, I find that most of it is disjointed, incomplete, or out dated. For example, there are plenty of maps displaying the Soo Line routes and station locations, but there are few, if any, that display the industrial regions that these routes travel through.

The research I am proposing will simultaneously display station location, industrial regions, and supporting communities throughout the Upper Peninsula.

Initially, I wanted to limit the scope of the project to train stations as important historic resources in communities These apartments were once worker barracks in Norway MI but that approach was problematic. Not all train stations are in towns that are rich in historic resources, or, some towns have had a station but it has been razed. These are issues I believe need to be look at closer. I consider the primary objective of my research is to illustrate the development of the UP during the late 1800s through the early 1900s.

The history of industry is always complicated because it involves many actors and business mergers and acquisitions. But rather than getting into the political minutiae of it all, I’d rather focus on the labor end of things. Since there is little readily available information on the working class communities, I start with the train stations. What is still up, what has been razed, and where are/were they located. For the most part, I found station locations through earlier surveys and train enthusiast websites. However, these sources need to be validated because stations may have been moved or demolished since their publication.

Creating a railroad database is important because (to my knowledge) there is currently limited information on

comprehensive listing and location information. For example, railroadmichigan.com has been a very helpful source. However, it lacks specific location information and does not include stations that have been razed prior to the website’s creation. I have come across several other similar sources, all helpful but none are complete.

The routes of certain railroad lines can also be determined while assessing location. This provides information on the industries that ran through various communities. After identifying the location of a station, I visit as many sites as possible and document as much information as possible. The train stations are the primary focal point of the study while the peripheral communities contribute the supporting narrative.

The image to the left was a tavern in Wilson MI. To the right is the Wilson Train Depot now located at the IXL Historical Museum in Hermansville nine miles away. Had I not visited the museum, it is unlikely I would have ever have know the depot still exist. The Hermansville sign on the depot is for looks.

On site visitations of the train stations are essential for documentation purposes. Site visitations consist of doing field sketches and photography. While collecting data, I will strive to employee proper documentation standards and techniques.

Though visiting the station is a critical component of the data collection process, it is only a small part. The exploration of the surrounding areas is also important in evaluating the cultural landscape. By examining the landscape more information can be collected and more context can be provided. Without rich context, the stations themselves are less interesting.

As data is being collected, questions that steer direction need to be considered. How should the information be presented in such a way that is interesting, unique, and useful? Furthermore, how should cultural landscape be interpreted in conjunction with physical geography? Questions like these are important when considering what forms of critique will be given as the project develops.

Though it is early in the process, steps to answer those questions have already begun. For example, crude maps of the UP have been made identifying where major historic industrial sites are located. Major train line routes are also being plotted onto a single map to determine their relationships with local industry. By plotting this information, we can then see the patterns of regional development. As the process moves forward, refinement of data for presentation purposes will manifest.

The history of industry is always complicated because it involves many actors and business mergers and acquisitions. Though industrial moguls had a large role in the regional development, it was the common people who manifested it with their labor. Their way of life, the differences and similarities within the Upper Peninsula, plays a role in the state’s heritage. Creating methods of investigating regional development is a tool to the conservation of their legacy.