Hamburg Township in Livingston County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Trains to Hamburg
The Village with Two Railroads
Photographed By Joel Seewald, February 27, 2021
1. Trains to Hamburg: The Village with Two Railroads Marker
Everything changed when the trains came to Hamburg in the 1880s.
The village had been connected to neighboring towns only by old Native American trails and dirt roads. Travel was slow and difficult on foot, horse or wagon, and village residents had limited access to markets and medical care. But the Grand Trunk Railroad line was built through in 1883 and then the Ann Arbor Railroad in 1886, adding jobs, business, supplies, and communications. The trains brought the bustle of vacationers visiting lake resorts, and in winter the trains distributed thousands of blocks of Zukey Lake ice to iceboxes far and wide.
You Auto Know
Zukey Lake ice was used in Ann Arbor Railroad refrigerator cars until electrical refrigeration began in the 1920s.
Erected by MotorCities National Heritage Area, National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the MotorCities National Heritage Area series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1883.
Location. 42° 26.869′ N, 83° 48.1′ W. Marker is near Hamburg, Michigan, in Livingston County. It is in Hamburg
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Travelers Stop (within shouting distance of this marker); Hamburg (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); St. Stephen's (about 600 feet away); Hamburg / Edwin B. Winans (approx. 0.3 miles away); Huron River (approx. 1.7 miles away); Homesite of Edwin B. Winans (approx. 2.3 miles away); The Big Chill (approx. 2.4 miles away); Chain of Lakes (approx. 2.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hamburg.
Also see . . . Hamburg: The Village with Two Railroads. Article on the History of the Huron River Chain of Lakes website. (Submitted on March 12, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society.
2. Trains to Hamburg: The Village with Two Railroads Marker — top far left image
Aerial view of Hamburg in 1950, showing the two rail lines on either side of the millpond. The Hamburg House Hotel is at the center, and the Grand Trunk Railroad depot is to the right of the round water tower. The Ann Arbor Railroad depot and grain elevator are at the lower right.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society.
3. Trains to Hamburg: The Village with Two Railroads Marker — lower far left image
The Ann Arbor Railroad depot at Hamburg, with a grain storage elevator across the tracks. At Hamburg there were two parallel tracks with two depots.
Photos courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society.
4. Trains to Hamburg: The Village with Two Railroads Marker — upper near left image
The farewell excursion train in Hamburg, 1962. Train transportation faded here as more cars and trucks were used, and the last scheduled train stopped in Hamburg in 1960. The rail spike (left) is a trace of the Grand Trunk Railroad line, recently torn up to create the Lakeland Trail for the community.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society.
5. Trains to Hamburg: The Village with Two Railroads Marker — lower near left image
Vacationers arriving at the Lakeland station, about 1910. A few miles northwest of Hamburg, the Lakeland station was busy for visits to cottages and hotels, especially in the summer.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society.
6. Trains to Hamburg: The Village with Two Railroads Marker — upper right image
An Ann Arbor Railroad passenger train steams by Zukey Lake northwest of Hamburg, just before crossing the Grand Trunk line approaching Lakeland station, 1910. Between Hamburg and Lakeland, the two lines ran parallel with each other.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society.
7. Trains to Hamburg: The Village with Two Railroads Marker — lower near right image
In developing the Ann Arbor Railroad line, Toledo businessman James Mitchell Ashley appealed to communities along the route for investments in its construction. This December 1886 note asks for Hamburg's payment after the railway's completion.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society.
8. Trains to Hamburg: The Village with Two Railroads Marker — lower far right image
A train collision in November 1908 between Hamburg and Lakeland. Repair and clearing of the track took weeks before the line was back in use.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, February 27, 2021
9. Trains to Hamburg: The Village with Two Railroads Marker
View looking toward the north along Hamburg Road.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 12, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 221 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on March 12, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
