To keep the neighbors happy, please do not seek this at night. This cache is located on the former grade of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, south of the C&MLS station site at Muskegon. The cache is hidden on Muskegon County road right-of-way.
Section of Muskegon, 1877 showing the Old C&MLS Station
The first rails to arrive in Muskegon were those of the Muskegon & Ferrysburg in late 1869. This line came from Ferrysburg, just north of Grand Haven. The M&F was later combined with other companies into the Michigan Lake Shore. The next rails to come into town were built by the Grand Rapids & Lake Shore, under the control of the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad, with a line running to Nunica connecting with a line from New Buffalo near the Indiana border. The Muskegon, Grand Rapids and Indiana followed with a line from Grand Rapids in 1886, and last to arrive was the Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon in 1888. A considerable break/bulk service across Lake Michigan was established from the port, followed eventually by rail car ferry service.
The C&MLS station was in service until the Michigan Lake Shore line from Grand Haven replaced the C&MLS line through Nunica as the main line in 1881. Passenger service for the combined line moved to the MLS depot near 3rd street, and eventually to Union Station near 6th street.
The Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore
The Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad was chartered in 1869 and built a 27-mile line between New Buffalo and St. Joseph, which opened on February 1st, 1870. Also in 1870, The C&MLS built the Grand Rapids & Lake Shore between what would become North Yard in Muskegon, and Nunica, connecting with the D&M. Running rights were negotiated with the D&M to gain access to Grand Rapids. The GR&LS was consolidated into the C&MLS, on August 15th. The line from the south was extended from St. Joseph to Grand Junction in northern Van Buren County on February 28th, 1871, and through Holland to Waverly by June 30th, 1871. In 1871, the C&MLS built the link from Waverly to Nunica and extended the line north from Muskegon to Montague and eventually Pentwater and Big Rapids.
Sources:
[ay]
