Carrey, Mi Near Luther, Lake Co.

[James Sofonia]

While looking around for a "where am I" I got quite interested in the long gone GR&I and the ME&W, both that passed thru Luther. The rail beds are barely visible using my virtual drone "Google Earth". Probably have to go there and investigate the area, but if someone knows the area I have a few questions.
What I found so far is that the Gr&I built up from the South, branching off the main at Orono and built past Luther to a maintenance area called Carrey.



A turntable was installed there although I've found no pics yet. Years later the GR&I moved the turntable to Luther.

Comments from Carl Bajema: The turntable pit (depression in 2003) at Luther is on the south side of the former GR&I right of way, just south of the Little Manistee River at coordinates: 44 degrees 02.077N and 085 degrees 41.073W. The first GR&I turntable was at Carey and the GR&I moved this turntable east approximately 3 miles to Luther.

But here is that spot in luther and I don't see the turntable depression.




But... I did spot something back in Carrey of a grade that leads to a circle area, maybe the depression of the original turntable.



Also can anyone say if the depot in Luther is still standing or at least pin point it's location. thanks.

[Jetlink]

I go up to the Luther-Irons area several times a year. I don't recall seeing a depot in Luther but have never really looked. I can't specifically recall one 'popping out' of my memory. Also Is Carrey the same as Carrieville? I've stopped many times at a place called the Carrieville store while riding ATV's in the area.

I never really considered how many ROW's were in the area. That map you posted is quite interesting.

[AARR]

I appreciate your research, Pixl

[Michael]

The 2 lines that passed though Luther must have been quite short-lived (1800's) because as luck would have it there are USGS topographic maps of that area from the early '30's and they only appear to show the old grade of ME&W going through Luther. It is not labeled old railroad grade but it most like is one.
The GR&I line could have been taken over by what is labeled "Transmission Line" but it doesn't match up with Dale's map you posted.
There is little on the other map to the west of Luther.


From the Luther Village website:
The Village of Luther was established in 1880 by Wilson, Luther & Wilson Lumbering Firm and was originally named Wilson. It was renamed Luther in 1881, when the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad built a station here during the big lumber boom. The town was organized as a village in 1881 and the original plat of Luther was recorded on March 13, 1882. The logging industry continued to be the major employer in the Luther area for many decades and had a major decline in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Click here for more Luther History.

[Jetlink]

Transmission line is the power line. It's still there today. Seems much to hilly to have ever hosted a rr grade.

[Michael]

Transmission line is the power line. It's still there today. Seems much to hilly to have ever hosted a rr grade.

I agree. That power line is not the old RR grade.


BTW Pixl, I think you are correct about the turntable location.

[DLM]

Michael, How can I get old USGS maps from SW Lake County? I am trying to find logging grades in Lake Township. Thanks,

[Michael]

You can download both historical USGS topographical maps as well as old aerials from the USGS Store.
http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/ then select "download free topo maps" which brings up a map where you can select the area and see what is available.

It is not the easiest website to navigate so let me know if you need help.

[C&O6084]

Manistee & Grand Rapids opened Manistee to Peacock in 1892. Sold under bankruptcy to Michigan East & West in 1913/1914, it was abandoned by 1916. Being a mostly non-ballasted line, it didn't have the long line of rocky subsoil that fostered lines of different-species trees, so the ROW is incredibly difficult to follow.

[wagnew0923]

If locating the Depot at Henry or atleast its location and then the other Depot location to the west in a town whose name I have forgotten locating these old rails is quite a challenege. I felt a bit like Indian Jones minus the snakes and Nazi's. Out of Henry the main line was very visible because it is curently used as an ORV trail. But the East-West cross tracks were almost impossible to find, infact I lost the trail quite a few times within a few hundred feet. In a few areas only the divide in the top of the trees really gave it away. Googlemaps can even be decieving where you can clearly see the ROW in the satillite picture but when you get there it is impossible to find. On one trail the only way I knew I was on the right path was I kept finding chunks of raw iron ore and copper nuggets with my metal detector. It is a lot of fun to do but also a lot of research, imagination, and taking your time to examine your surroundings.

[Henry F. Burger]

On the 'Ann Arbor RR Technical & Historical Association web site' in the history section I have posted a history of the Michigan East-West with maps, they used the Ann Arbor RR Marion Station and got coal and water there. The Marion local history book has many pictures and description for many of the villages along the line.
http://www.trainweb.org/annarbor/

[Michael]

On the 'Ann Arbor RR Technical & Historical Association web site' in the history section I have posted a history of the Michigan East-West with maps, they used the Ann Arbor RR Marion Station and got coal and water there. The Marion local history book has many pictures and description for many of the villages along the line.
http://www.trainweb.org/annarbor/

Thanks for all your research Henry. There is a lot of stuff on there. It looks like the ME&W tracks in Luther existed from about 1896 to 1920 and just a few years in Carrey from 1901 to 1905.
It looks like the GR& I to Carrey (or Carey or Careyville) was from just 1893 to 1901

[Henry F. Burger]

The line was sold by court order in 1916, how long any rail depended on how fast the scrapers remove it. The Manistee end remained a little as industry sidings and so slowly were removed as the industry died.

[CAT345C]

First, Jet Link next time you come up hit me up, I'll go riding with you.
Second, I believe there are some old RR foundations near the Carrieville Gas station. The ATV trail runs on the old grade from M37 to Carrieville. I'll take some photos saturday perhaps if I can make it out on the trails to show you what it looks like on the ground. I think the map on Michigan RR may be wrong based on what I've been over on the ATV (2500 miles and counting)

[Standard Railfan]

A year or so ago, I attempted to map the GR&I Manistee Branch using Goggle Earth. Using timetables and some other documents I dug up on the internet I was able to map the line fairly accurately until I got to Luther. Then the line seemed to disappear.

I was able to validate the other parts of the map by having the mile markers line up with the former or extant townsites.

I just went back into the map. I just located the circular feature Pixl found. Interesting thing is the apparent ROW to the circular feature does not seem to correspond to what I found.

Additional study is needed. Thank you to all of you for rekindling this project!

[CAT345C]

Standard, have you tracked the line that went west, south west off the Pere Marquette just south of Peacock? The orv trails in this area cris cross a ton of old rows. I'm always finding new ones out riding.

[Standard Railfan]

I have not. I recall from my days working in that area that there were a lot of logging lines thereabouts. IIRC many areas were never farmed hence the ROWs still exist.

[James Sofonia]

UPDATE:

I made it to Luther and Carrey to check this stuff out myself. I didn't find any railroad elements in Luther. They may be there but I think you'd have to spend some time asking around where the train station may have been. One thing that is abundant is the bars, like 4 or 5 of them in a row. Cool town, there were people out everywhere.
Carrey was very interesting. Not to be mixed up with Carreyville, that is more to the West with a store, ATV trailhead, and lots of action.

I found the grade of the GR&I off of old M-63 and a little South on Queens Rd. It is used for a driveway to a couple of cabins. You can drive about half way in toward the RR maintance area and previous turntable. Had to hike the rest of the way because of fallen trees across the grade. Check out the thin straight line in this shot leading SW to the round open area.



Except for a couple of those fallen trees the grade is surprisingly free of overgrowth considering it was abandoned 100 years ago.



The grade leads to this open flat and rounded field.



I did not find any RR related stuff there. Only this roller looking thing rusting away. One of you guys with metal detectors have to check this place out.



But here is where my adventure went bad.Going around in circles I took the wrong trail out of the area. I didn't realize it until I had walked way further than where my car should be parked.



I hiked out to a road and flagged down a couple, they gave me and my dog a ride back to my car. Whew!

[Michael]

Sounds like quite an adventure Pixl. I've gotten turned around like that before and despite all the TV survival shows I've watched, first thing I do is panic

I've never had much luck with my metal detector either. I'm no expert but trace amounts of iron are everywhere along an old railroad right-of-way so it is always going off.