Daytime Only! This cache is located near the former grade of the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad, north of the former watering station of Blendon. The cache is hidden on rural road right-of-way.
C&MLS grade at Blendon Station. The grade is the slightly raised ground at the tree line.
Blendon was a water refilling station used by the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad. It consisted of a siding, a water tower, and four buildings. Water stations at this time were usually located about every 10 to 15 miles on the tracks. The towers were often accompanied by water treatment buildings to remove the hardness. This kept the locomotives in better condition and made boiling the water easier.
Blendon Station, Olive Twp. Plat 1876
The Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore
The Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad was chartered in 1869 and built north from New Buffalo to St. Joseph, opening on February 1st, 1870. The line was extended to Grand Junction in northern Van Buren County on February 28th, 1871, and through Waverly (outside Holland) to Nunica by June 30th, 1871. At Nunica, the line connected with the track that had been built in 1870 from Muskegon to Nunica. The C&MLS was in competition with the Michigan Lake Shore Railroad, already operating a line between Allegan, through Holland to Muskegon by 1870. In 1876 the C&MLS went into receivership and reorganized as the Chicago & West Michigan Railroad. In 1881 the C&WM , along with three other lines, including the Grand Haven Railroad(formerly the Michigan Lake Shore) reorganized as the Chicago & West Michigan Railway. This left the C&WM Ry with two lines between Holland and Muskegon, The C&MLS line was superfluous and Waverly to Fruitport was abandoned by the end of 1881. The abandonment was very secretive, and spawned a few law suits from lumber companies that the line had served. On a Sunday in 1881, a C&MLS locomotive ran from Fruitport to Waverly, picking up tracks and ties. This left many small towns along the line in economical shock, and left them to be abandoned.
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