SWS - Alleyton on the M&BR (PM) Traditional Cache

This cache was hidden as part of the Abandoned Railroads of Newaygo County Geocache Rail Tour, presented by the Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center and Silent Whistles. Record the milepost value contained on and/or in each cache container on the Ticket to Newaygo County form. See the additional information below for specific tour requirements.

This cache is located about a mile west of the former village of Alleyton, on the Pere Marquette Railroad, originally the Muskegon & Big Rapids Railroad. Cache is located on land owned by the DNR.

Lumber Locomotives, Fair Play & Little Giant at Alleyton.

The Muskegon & Big Rapids Railroad laid track through the site of Alleyton in late 1872. Earlier that year, the location had been settled by James Alley who brought a lumber operation to the banks of the White River here. If it wasn't for the railroad, Alleyton likely wouldn't have become more than a logging operation. The M&BR brought waves of settlers to the new village, they built homes for their families and many began their own businesses. The village continued growing, hitting a peak population of 464 in 1880. In 1882, a large fire devastated the town. A total of 57 building were destroyed. The town never recovered and by the turn of the century, Alleyton was gone.

Section of the 1880 Alleyton plat showing the C&WM Depot and its proximity to the White River.

What became the Big Rapids Branch of the Pere Marquette Railroad was incorporated as the Muskegon & Big Rapids Railroad, with backing from the owners of the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad. Construction began in 1872. Before it was completed, the M&BR was consolidated into the C&MLS. The line was completed to Fremont Center by the end of 1872 and service began to Big Rapids on July 21st, 1873. The line shared trackage north of Muskegon with another C&MLS subsidiary/branch, the Montague, Pentwater and Manistee, as far as Big Rapids Junction, now known as Berry or Berry Junction.

In 1878, the C&MLS, was reorganized as part of the Chicago & West Michigan Railroad. In late 1899, the C&WM, the Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western Railroad and the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad were purchased and merged into the Pere Marquette Railroad, which began operations January 1st, 1900, a few short years before the end of the railroad boom in Michigan. In 1926, with dwindling business, redundant coverage into Big Rapids from Ionia, and competition from the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, the PM abandoned the portion of the original Big Rapids Branch from White Cloud to Big Rapids.

In 1947, the PM was merged into its parent, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. In 1963, with revenues down and another C&O line running north-south through White Cloud, the line between Fremont and White Cloud was abandoned. Today, the remaining portion, from Berry Junction to Fremont, is operated by Michigan Shore Railroad.

To claim a prize:

1. Download and print the Ticket to Newaygo County form (PDF). See alternate below.
2. Find 28 of the 35 cache hides in the table below.
3. Find at least five of the seven mystery and multi caches in any combination.
4. Record the milepost number from the label or log of each cache you find on a printed copy of the form. Milepost numbers are on cache labels and log book covers.
5. Each individual GC account holder making the find must sign and date the paper log book in the cache with their GC account name. No group logs please.
6. Optionally, upload a photo of your log entry. Be careful to not include the milepost value in the photo.
7. Send the completed form via US Mail to the address on the form. Each GC account holder must send in a form.
   
   Once your answers have been verified, the prize will be sent back to you via US Mail to the address you provide on the form.
   
   The first 95 cachers to complete the tour will be awarded a Silent Whistles pathtag commemorating the Big Rapids Branch of the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad.
   
   One prize per completed form. One prize per GC Account.
   
   
   

SWS - Fremont on the M&BR (C&O)	SWS - Newaygo on the RHLCo
SWS - Wooster on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Newaygo on the NPCCo (PM)
SWS - Ryerson Station on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Erwin on the NPCCo (PM)
SWS - Alleyton on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Marl Lake on the NPCCo PM)
SWS - White Cloud on the M&BR (C&O)	SWS - Croton Dam on the CPCo
SWS - Eastman on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Hardy Dam on the CPCo
SWS - White River Club on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - West Troy Junction on the WR (C&WM)
SWS - McLane on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - West Troy on the WR (C&WM)
SWS - Fields on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Sisson on the S&L (C&WM)
SWS - Kinney on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Lilley Junction on the S&L (C&WM)
SWS - Wilcox on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Foxville on the OFCo (C&WM)
SWS - Swains Crossing on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Keno on the OFCo (C&WM)
SWS - Cardinal Junction on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Stimson on the BR&W (GR&I)
SWS - Hayes Siding on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Vincent on the BR&W (GR&I)
SWS - Woodville on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Palmerville on the P&PMR
SWS - Lumberton on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Diamond Lake on the WMLCo
SWS - Hungerford on the M&BR (PM)	SWS - Park City on the WMLCo
SWS - Turnbulls Siding on the M&BR (PM)

Sources:

• Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad
• Chicago and West Michigan Railroad
• Pere Marquette Railroad
• Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
• Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1877, R.L. Polk & Co.
• Atlas of Newaygo County, Michigan, E.L. Hayes, 1880
• The October Project, Newaygo County, Michigan
• Lumbering in Newaygo County, Harry L. Spooner, © 1946, Cooper Press, reprinted 1976 by the Newaygo County Historical Archive
• Michigan Place Names, Walter Romig, © 1986 Wayne State University Press

Visit the Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center at: 12 Quarterline Road, Newaygo, Michigan (at the downtown light).

Visit the Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center on Thursday, September 11th, 2014 at 7:00PM for the Heritage Speaker Series topic: Logging and Railroads in Newaygo County by Dr. Carl Bajema. Reservations are required