Rubicon Township in Port Hope in Huron County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
1903 - The Rail Comes to Port Hope
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, June 12, 2023
1. 1903 - The Rail Comes to Port Hope Marker
Train Arriving in Port Hope
The long awaited railroad reached Port Hope in October of 1903, providing both freight and passenger service on a year-round basis.
Engine House
After a 1910 fire destroyed the Harbor Beach roundhouse, the railroad company moved the equipment storage and maintenance function to Port Hope. The engine house was built in 1011, and the crew and their families moved into the community.
Crew and Passengers at Depot
The depot was built in the spring of 1904 by the Pere Marquette Railroad Company. From here the small community was connected to the rapidly expanding continental transportation system.
Water Tank
A part of the maintenance function required the construction of a water tank, built in 1011 and supplied by pumps at the local gran mill at Lake Huron.
Loading Sugar Beets
The primary reason for the extension of rails to Port Hope was the introduction of sugar beets as a cash crop for local farmers. Beets were brought to the tracks by horse drawn wagons, and hand loaded onto rail cars.
Erected by Friends of the Port Hope Railroad Depot.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1904.
Location.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. E Cook Anchor (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rubicon Township Hall (about 700 feet away); Old School House Bell Tower Roof (about 700 feet away); Port Hope Time Capsule (about 700 feet away); Port Hope Chimney (about 800 feet away); St. John's Lutheran Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); AMVETS Post 115 (approx. 1.2 miles away); George "Randy" Raison Covered Bridge (approx. 6½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Hope.
Also see . . . Train depot returns to Port Hope. Excerpt:
The Port Hope Depot was built in 1904, and it remained a viable hub for rail transportation until the railroad was discontinued many decades later. The depot was moved to a storage area and remained there for nearly a half century, overgrown with vegetation and deteriorating.(Submitted on June 13, 2023, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.)
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, June 12, 2023
2. 1903 - The Rail Comes to Port Hope Marker
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, June 12, 2023
3. Port Hope Depot
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, June 12, 2023
4. Ticket Counter
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, June 12, 2023
5. Port Hope Depot Entrance
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, June 12, 2023
6. 1904 Caboose at the Depot
Official Guide to the Railways, page 274, December 1925
7. Pere Marquette Schedule 7, Effective October 10, 1925
Port Hope was on Pere Marquette’s Pointe Aux Barques subdivision. This schedule shows a morning train arriving at 1:30 PM from Port Huron. It left Port Huron’s Tunnel Station at 9:20 that morning. Half an hour later at 2 PM that train would begin its return to Port Huron, arriving there at 6:45 PM. Port Huron had frequent passenger service to the rest of the country, including three daily international trains between Chicago and Toronto.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 6, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 13, 2023, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 111 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 13, 2023, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. 7. submitted on August 6, 2023, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
