Grand Haven in Ottawa County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Depot Transportation Museum

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 27, 2017

1. Depot Transportation Museum Marker

Inscription. Built in 1870, this building has been prominent in Grand Haven's history, both as a railroad depot and as a historical museum. For many years downtown Grand Haven enjoyed train whistles and churning locomotives arriving here with passengers and freight. But the last train left in 1958 and the depot reopened as a museum in 1972 to honor the city's past. The Tri-Cities Historical Museum moved to the Akeley Building on Washington Avenue in 2004, but this depot building remains a colorful part of the museum with period interiors and displays of local maritime and transportation history.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.

Location. 43° 3.904′ N, 86° 14.058′ W. Marker is in Grand Haven, Michigan, in Ottawa County. Marker is at the intersection of North Harbor Drive and Washington Avenue, on the left when traveling north on North Harbor Drive. Marker is located at the south end of the former Grand Trunk Depot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 North Harbor Drive, Grand Haven MI 49417, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Grand Trunk Depot (a few steps from this marker); Akeley Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Model 5 Autoflag "Wig-Wag" Crossing Signal (approx. ¼ mile away); First Reformed Church

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(approx. ¼ mile away); Grand Trunk Western Bridge Approach Signal (approx. 0.3 miles away); Pere Marquette Steam Locomotive (approx. 0.3 miles away); Pere Marquette Auto Box Car No 72222 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Grand Trunk Western Standard Coaling Tower (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Grand Haven.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Grand Trunk Depot, Grand Haven, Michigan

Also see . . . Grand Trunk Western Railroad (Wikipedia). Grand Trunk Western was one of three Michigan railroads, along with the Ann Arbor Railroad and Pere Marquette Railway, that operated separate railcar ferry service across Lake Michigan between Michigan and Wisconsin. Loading rail cars onto ships that had rails mounted to their decks, and ferrying the cars east and west across Lake Michigan, allowed railroads to bypass the congested rail interchanges in Chicago and move time-sensitive freight more quickly. GTW's rail car ferry service began in 1902 with an operating agreement with the steamship company, Crosby Transportation Company. The railway constructed ferry slip

Marker detail: Passengers arriving by train image. Click for full size.

Courtesy of the Tri-Cities Historical Museum

2. Marker detail: Passengers arriving by train

Passengers arriving by train at the depot to board the steamship South American, 1957.

docks at Grand Haven and Milwaukee and had two steamships built, the SS Grand Haven and SS Milwaukee, capable of carrying 26 freight railcars. (Submitted on July 16, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Marker detail: Dewey Hill image. Click for full size.

Courtesy of the Tri-Cities Historical Museum

3. Marker detail: Dewey Hill

The depot, with Dewey Hill beyond the Grand River. The original railroad depot was at the base of Dewey Hill at about the site seen here. In 1870 the new depot was built at its present location, serving passengers with up to eight trains a day.

Marker detail: The depot serving as the community’s museum, 1988 image. Click for full size.

Courtesy of the Tri-Cities Historical Museum

4. Marker detail: The depot serving as the community’s museum, 1988

Former Grand Trunk Depot (<i>south elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 27, 2017

5. Former Grand Trunk Depot (south elevation)

(marker visible at center)

Former Grand Trunk Depot (<i>southwest elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 27, 2017

6. Former Grand Trunk Depot (southwest elevation)

The depot is now one of the two buildings housing the Tri-Cities Historical Museum in Grand Haven.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 16, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 255 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 16, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.