Photo courtesy of the Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Charles Conn Collection.
Michigan Central Station at Lovells in 1918.
At the owner's request, this cache is available only during business hours. It is not inside the business, that is against the rules. The owner does not want people poking around off hours, especially at night. The business has a security system and video. Please do not get your photo taken after hours. The store is under new ownership and the owner selected the hiding spot for a replacement of the original cache which went away when the previous owners closed the business. He should be a cacher. He selected a dandy spot.
Photo courtesy of the Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Charles Conn Collection.
Michigan Central Freight House at Lovells.
The cache is at the Old Navajo Trading Post, now Caid's Corner Grocery, near the site of the Michigan Central Depot at Lovells.
Lovells was settled in 1870 with the arrival of a lumber camp was set up at the site by Charles S. Brink. A post office was established (called Judge or Judges, on the east side of the river), a hotel, grocery store, tavern and barber shop were also built. By 1900, the population was reported to be greater than 500. In 1918, it was down to 200 and shrinking.
Today, the host gas-station/party store, a tavern and a seasonal motel are on the east side of the river. A Bed and Breakfast at the former Douglas Hotel is on the west side. There are a few other homes and cottages in and around the town, and the Lovells Township Historical Society has a log school house (moved from another site in the township) there and hosts an annual bridge walk.
Photo courtesy of the Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Charles Conn Collection.
Michigan Central Passenger Train on the bridge over the Au Sable.
Remains of the bridge can be seen behind the bar.
The rail line through Lovells (at milepost 19) was originally built as the Grayling, Twin Lakes & Northeastern Railroad in 1892, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw Railroad. Both railroads were operated by the Michigan Central. The line ran between Grayling and Lewiston, and some lumber camps beyond, with a branch line to Johannesburg from Clear Lake Junction, just northeast of Lovells. The railroad served the Douglas Mill in Lovells. In 1901, the GTL&N became part of the JL&S and in 1905 the JL&S became part of the MC. In 1910, Lovells was served by two passanger trains daily each way to Grayling. In 1930, the New York Central took over operations of the MC and abandoned the Twin Lakes branch by 1933. The grade crossed the North Branch of the AuSable River behind the Lovels Tavern across the street from the store and passed between the store and the Inn next door.
When I dropped off the cache, the original fresh pizza smelled mighty good. I wished I had not just had a nice breakfast.
Sources:
Michigan Ghost Towns Volume I by R.L. Dodge, ©1970.
Jackson, Lansing & Southern Railroad
Michigan Central Railroad
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