SWS - Diamond Lake on the WMLCo Traditional Geocache

This cache was hidden as part of the Abandoned Railroads of Newaygo County Geocache Rail Tour, presented by the Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center and Silent Whistles. Record the milepost value contained on and/or in each cache container on the Ticket to Newaygo County form. See the additional information below for specific tour requirements.

This cache is on the grade of the West Michigan Lumber Company Railroad near the site of the north camp at Diamond Lake. The cache is on property owned by Lincoln Township, part of the Diamond Lake County Park.

Diamond Lake Mill, West Michigan Lumber Company.

The West Michigan Lumber Company built its second large mill in Newaygo County on the south east end of Diamond Lake in 1881. A large company store was also established. A post office with that name was established December 22^nd of that year. A station on Chicago and West Michigan Railroad by the name of Diamond Loch was established. It is not known if this the cause or an effect of the town's renaming. WM Lumber also established a camp on the north end of the lake, apparently to house its workers. The mill and the camp were both served by the West Michigan Lumber Company Railroad, a narrow gauge line, which ran north to the Park City mill, and points beyond. The narrow gauge line provided logs for the mills to cut into lumber that was shipped over the C&WM.

By 1894, the cutting was complete and the sawmill torn down, but the town somehow survived. Over the next severalyears, In 1904, a Doctor from Chicago named Pechuman, a homeowner on the lake, and a resort owner named Biglow renamed the settlement Ramona. As late as the 1920s, what had once been considered scrap lumber was still being harvested and mills from piles in swampholes left by the West Michigan Lumber Company.

The still in service rail line that served the sawmill began life as the White River Railroad in 1880. It was included in the Chicago and West Michigan in 1881, then Pere Marquette Railroad in 1899, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in 1947, and CSX in 1987. It is currently owned by the State of Michigan and is operated by Marquette Rail.

To claim a prize:

1. Download and print the Ticket to Newaygo County form (PDF). See alternate below.
2. Find 28 of the 35 cache hides in the table below.
3. Find at least five of the seven mystery and multi caches in any combination.
4. Record the milepost number from the label or log of each cache you find on a printed copy of the form. Milepost numbers are on cache labels and log book covers.
5. Each individual GC account holder making the find must sign and date the paper log book in the cache with their GC account name. No group logs please.
6. Optionally, upload a photo of your log entry. Be careful to not include the milepost value in the photo.
7. Send the completed form via US Mail to the address on the form. Each GC account holder must send in a form.
   
   Once your answers have been verified, the prize will be sent back to you via US Mail to the address you provide on the form.
   
   The first 95 cachers to complete the tour will be awarded a Silent Whistles pathtag commemorating the Big Rapids Branch of the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad.
   
   One prize per completed form. One prize per GC Account.
   
   
   

SWS - Fremont on the M&BR (C&O)	SWS - Newaygo on the RHLCo
SWS - Wooster on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Newaygo on the NPCCo (PM)
SWS - Ryerson Station on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Erwin on the NPCCo (PM)
SWS - Alleyton on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Marl Lake on the NPCCo PM)
SWS - White Cloud on the M&BR (C&O)	SWS - Croton Dam on the CPCo
SWS - Eastman on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Hardy Dam on the CPCo
SWS - White River Club on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - West Troy Junction on the WR (C&WM)
SWS - McLane on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - West Troy on the WR (C&WM)
SWS - Fields on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Sisson on the S&L (C&WM)
SWS - Kinney on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Lilley Junction on the S&L (C&WM)
SWS - Wilcox on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Foxville on the OFCo (C&WM)
SWS - Swains Crossing on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Keno on the OFCo (C&WM)
SWS - Cardinal Junction on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Stimson on the BR&W (GR&I)
SWS - Hayes Siding on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Vincent on the BR&W (GR&I)
SWS - Woodville on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Palmerville on the P&PMR
SWS - Lumberton on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Diamond Lake on the WMLCo
SWS - Hungerford on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Park City on the WMLCo
SWS - Turnbulls Siding on the M&BR (PM)

Download the Ticket to Ride form:

Click Ticket to Newaygo County (PDF) to download a printable version the form (PDF).
Click Ticket to Newaygo County (PNG) to download an alternate, less clear graphic version of the form.
If you don't have access to a printer, printed copies can be obtained at the Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center, or by sending a self addressed stamped envelope to the address on the bottom of the form.

Sources:

• Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad
• Chicago and West Michigan Railroad
• Pere Marquette Railroad
• Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
• The October Project, Newaygo County, Michigan
• Lumbering in Newaygo County, Harry L. Spooner, © 1946, Cooper Press, reprinted 1976 by the Newaygo County Historical Archive
• Michigan Place Names, Walter Romig, © 1986 Wayne State University Press
• Michigan Railroads and Railroad Companies, Graydon M. Meints © 1992, Michigan State University Press
• Michigan Railroad Lines, Graydon M. Meints © 2005, Michigan State University Press

Visit the Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center at: 12 Quarterline Road, Newaygo, Michigan (at the downtown light).

Visit the Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center on Thursday, September 11th, 2014 at 7:00PM for the Heritage Speaker Series topic: Logging and Railroads in Newaygo County by Dr. Carl Bajema. Reservations are required