This cache near the grade of the Penn Central Railroad branch into Camp Grayling. The cache is hidden on land owned by the State of Michigan, and open to the public.
Railroad siding and docks at Camp Grayling.
In 1913, the lumber baron Rasmus Hanson donated several thousand acres of land to the State of Michigan for use as a training camp for the Michigan National Guard. Part of this land was set aside as a wildlife refuge. Troops first trained here in 1914.
Also in 1914, the Michigan Central Railroad constructed it's Portage Lake (former name for Lake Margrethe) Branch off the Manistee and Northeastern Railroad at Portage Junction. The branch extended three miles into the camp, to a point now restricted to military access. The end of this line was named Rasmus by the railroad, in honor of the land donor. There was never a station here. There were docks for loading and unloading artillery and other military equipment.
When the M&NE abandoned the River Branch in 1924, the MC lease the 2.3 miles between the junction and Grayling. In 1955, the MC (itself under lease to the New York Central Railroad) purchased the segment from the current owners of the M&NE the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. In 1968, the Penn Central merged the NYC with the Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1980, the PC abandoned the Portage Lake Branch.
Most of the camp acreage is open to the public when military activity is not present. Hunting, fishing and snowmobiling are popular activities.
M&NE and MC near Grayling.
Note: The label on the container, the ftf card, and the log book identify the cache as SWS - Rasmus on the JL&S (PC). The Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw was the predecessor of the Michigan Central. On a future maintenance check, I will repair the errors. The first finder can get a corrected card by emailing their address via my profile.
Sources:
Manistee and Northeastern Railroad
Pere Marquette Railroad
Michigan Central Railroad
RRHX: Camp Grayling (Rasmus), Michigan [agh]
