The location of this cache is on the former right of way of the Manistee & Northeastern Railroad in the town of Sigma. The site is owned by the State of Michigan. Thanks to Sigma resident Dave for helping locate the depot site and suggesting the location of this hide. Please respect the residents and drive no faster than 10MPH and watch out for children.
The location of this cache is on the former right of way of the Manistee & Northeastern Railroad in the town of Sigma. The site is owned by the State of Michigan. Thanks to Sigma resident Dave for helping locate the depot site and suggesting the location of this hide. Please respect the residents and drive no faster than 10MPH and watch out for children.
M&NE Depot, Sigma, courtesy of RRHX, Alan Loftis Collection
Sigma was essentially carved out of the woods with the coming of the railroad, in 1909-10. Sigma received a post office on May 13th, 1914, with William T. Kirkby as postmaster. It is not clear how long the post office lasted. Sigma also had a general store. Unlike many lumber towns, Sigma managed to survive as a settlement, and still has a colletion of houses, although it has long since stopped being a village.
A novel, The Haunting of Sigma, A Dogman Legend, by Frank Holes Jr., was published in 2008, and has been featured on The History Channel's Monster Quest.
The map below shows the M&NE grade (purple) approaching from the west, turning north to pass through Sigma, and exiting east. The yellow line is the Grand Rapids, Kalkaska and Southeastern, from Rapid City, through Kalkaska and on to Stratford. The two lines did not interchange where they crossed.
The Manistee River branch of the M&NE was built from Buckley to Sigma in 1909 and extended to Grayling a year later. It served the town until it was abandoned in 1925. The railroad grade roughly runs south to north through town, then turns east toward Angling and Grayling. A private lumber branch crossed Kniss road north of town and served lumber camps north east of Sigma. M&NE served lumber camps and towns along the Manistee River, harvesting large stands of timber. Once the timber was gone, there was no reason to continue railroad operation. The M&NE Manistee River Branch was abandoned in in 1925.
This map shows the entire M&NE system, with lessor branches in lighter color
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Historical information about the M&NE can be found on the Pere Marquette Historical Society website (see Sources) but little is mentioned about the Manistee River branch. The Pere Marquette did not take control of the M&NE until after the Manistee River Branch was gone.
Sources:
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