This cache is on the former grade of the Manistee and Northeastern Railroad, on property owned by the State of Michigan. The cache is a 2-cup lock-n-lock. This area is traveled alot by muggles. Please hide carefully. Take a moment to enjoy the view.
The town of Walton was created to house construction crews for the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad branch line to Traverse City in 1871. The GR&I called the town Walton Junction because of the junction with this popular branch. Years after the GR&I put Walton on the map, the Manistee and Northeastern constructed its Manistee River Branch from Kaleva to Grayling. The line reached Walton (and on to Sigma) in 1909 and was completed to Grayling in 1910. There was no interchange at Walton with the GR&I, but the M&NE did pay a small fee to make use of the GR&I station for its passenger service. The M&NE passed under the GR&I rather than at grade level. The 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 late 1924.
The M&NE grade passed through Walton east-west, crossing the north tip of the cranberry bog that can be seen south of the cache site. The grade and location of the underpass is shown on the map above. Please do not try to walk to the site of the underpass. The approach (grade east of the gravel road) is on private property and there is not much to see as the underpass has been filled in.
A very complete (except for no mention of the M&NE) and truly interesting description of the town can be read on the page for the nearby MLT cache GCJ6X3: Walton Junction.
Sources:
Manistee and Northeastern Railroad
Pere Marquette Railroad
Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
RR MI Manistee & Northeastern (photos of the still standing M&NE stations)
RRHX: Walton Junction (photos of the GR&I at Walton Junction)
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