Daytime only. The cache is hidden in Sterns Park near the site of the Pere Marquette Railroad depot. The cache is on village property near the farm market pavilion. You are looking for a soda preform.
"Photo courtesy of Michigan Railroad History (RRHX), Alan Loftis collection."
Pere Marquette depot at Barryton, Michigan.
Barryton:
The depot at Barryton served the community from 1893 through 1943. Little trace is left of the original right of way, but it can be found on older topographic and plat maps entering town from the west and bending south east of the cache site to serve industry along the river. The depot was very close to the cache site.
According to the Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory, in 1897 Barryton had a population of 300, a Methodist Episcopal Church, saw mill, planning mill, feed mill, weekly newspaper (The Press), telephone connection, a band, a novelty works and furniture manufacturer, a meat market, grocery store(s), a druggist, hotel(s), post office, general store(s), blacksmith shop, barber, physician and a saloon. By 1907, up to the population was 500, and had added a second church, a bank, creamery, millinery, livery and livestock, a flower mill, a dry goods, a second physician and several other businesses and craftsman. The plat below shows the town was built around two mills and an elevator served by the railroad.
Plat Book of Mecosta County, Michigan, P.A. Myers, Consolidated Publishing Co., 1900, UofM Digital Library
Barryton, 1900, south part (original plat). Depot is in blue.
Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad:
The roots of the Barryton branch of the PM began when the Ionia, Stanton and Northern Railroad was built from Stanton Junction, just north of Ionia, to Stanton in 1872. The IS&N became part of the Detroit. Lansing and Lake Michigan Railroad on October 1st, 1872. In 1876, The DL&LM and two other lines were reorganized as the Detroit, Lansing and Northern. In 1878, the DL&N, extended the line from Stanton, through McBride to Edmore, where it connected with an east west line, the Chicago, Saginaw and Canada Railroad, (Saginaw to Edmore and eventually Howard City) In 1880, the DL&N line was extended north and west through Wyman, Blanchard, Millbrook, Remus, Mecosta, Rodney and on to Big Rapids, where it connected with the Grand Rapids and Indiana. In 1883, a short lived branch line was built from Rodmey to Chippewa Lake. In 1893 the DL&LN built branch lines from Remus to Weidman, and from Mecosta to Barryton.
The DL&N, and other lines were reorganized as the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western in 1897. In 1899-1900, the DGR&W, along with other lines, were reorganized as the Pere Marquette Railroad. Highways, trucks and personal cars were cutting in to railroad business. The line between Big Rapids and Remus, including the Blanchard and Weidman branches, was abandoned in 1943-44. In 1947, the PM was merged into its parent, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. The remainder of the line between Remus and Edmore was removed in 1981 by the C&O.
Sources:
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