This cache is hidden near the former Chesapeake and Ohio right of way on the grounds of the Remus Area Historical Museum, with their permission. The cache is a small lock-n-lock.
"Photo courtesy of Michigan Railroad History (RRHX), Alan Loftis collection."
Pere Marquette Depot, Remus Michigan (RRHX, Alan Loftis Collection)
Remus:
According to the 1907 Michigan Gazetteer and Business Directory, Remus had a population of 450, with three churches, a bank, post office and a newspaper, the Index. Remus had telephone and telegraph connection. Remus had a dentist and multiple physicians, one of whom was also a surgeon. Remus boasted a barber shop, a liquor and tobacco shop, a grocery stores, a drug store, general stores, a notions shop, millinery shop, cobbler, furniture store, a hardware, farm implements, a produce market, two hotels, an auditorium, a blacksmith, wagon maker, a livery, photographer, a mercantile, a public and parochial school. Remus also had a grain elevator, a cooperative creamery, a planning mill, a pickle plant and lumber and building supplies store. Many skilled trades were supplied by local residents. Historic photos of Remus, including the depot, elevator and creamery can be viewed on the museum web site, here and here. Additional historical information about Remus and the surrounding area can be found at the Museum. The Museum is open from 2-4PM, Wednesdays in the summer months.
Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad:
The roots of the rail line through Remus began when the Ionia, Stanton and Northern was built from Stanton Junction, just north of Ionia, through Fenwick, Sheridan and Stanton in 1872. In 1876, The IS&N 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, (Saginaw to Howard City), a DL&N subsidiary. 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 and a second DL&N line from Muskegon. In 1893 the DL&LN built branch lines from Remus to Weidman, and from Mecosta to Barryton. A ranch line from Rodney to Chippewa Lake also existed, but the construction time frame has not yet been determined.
Plat Book of Mecosta County, Michigan, P.A. Myers, Consolidated Publishing Co., 1900, UofM Digital Library
1900 plat map of the Remus area and town center.
The plat (above) of a portion of Wheatland Township and of Remus shows the PM line from Edmore coming into Remus from the south and exiting north west toward Mecosta and Big Rapids. The Weidman branch exits the main near the creamery and heads out of town to the north east.
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. The line between Big Rapids and Remus, including the Blanchard and Weidman branches, was abandoned in 1943-44. The PM became part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in 1947. The C&O was included in the Chessie System in 1972. Remus continued to be served by the C&O up to the final consolidation into CSX in 1980 when the line was abandoned. The line between Remus and Edmore was removed in 1981.
The site of the PM depot was between Wheatland and Michigan Streets, north-north-west of the cache. The site is now occupied by the Wheatland Township Library.
Sources:
RRHX: Remus
Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad
Pere Marquette Railroad
Village of Remus, History and Heritage
Railroads for Michigan, Graydon Meints, MSU Press, (c) 2005
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