This day-time only cache is located on the former grade of the Pennsylvania Railroad, in the village of Stanwood. This cache is hidden on the White Pine Trail State Park, please obey trail rules.
Grand Rapids & Indiana Depot at Stanwood
Stanwood:
The village of Stanwood began in 1870 with the arrival of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad through Mecosta County. It was a lumber town, carved out of the deep Michigan woods. In October of 1870, O.P. Pillsbury & Co. laid out a village plan in what was then, just swamp and woodland. The first buildings at the site were the railroad depot, followed by a large frame hotel, both were completed before winter arrive. The following spring, a large shingle mill was built on a dammed section of Mack Creek, near the depot. Just to the east of the railroad tracks was a large two story store owned by S.W. Foster and David D. Tarr. In the summer of 1872, a blacksmith and carpenter shop were constructed, and a post office was established at the general store.
A man named John McNaughton was a key player in the development of early Stanwood. In the 1870's, he was responsible for the construction of all but two buildings in the village. He and his construction crew are the reason that Stanwood was not your typical logging "shanty town". The buildings at Stanwood were built large and built to last. Many historic buildings remain in Stanwood today.
Village of Stanwood, 1879 Plat
Railroad:
The Grand Rapids & Indiana spent thirteen years as a paper company before being built. Service began between Grand Rapids and Cedar Springs on Christmas Day, 1867. By the middle of 1869, the rails were down as far as Morley and on to Paris in the fall of 1870. Trackage was also completed between Grand Rapids and Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1871, the GR&I acquired the Cincinnati, Richmond & Fort Wayne Railroad Company, extending the GR&I to Cincinnati. Trackage was extending northward as well. By late 1872, a branch was completed between Walton to Traverse City. By the end of 1873, the line reached Petoskey and in 1882, Mackinaw City, becoming the longest north-south line in the country, at that time. As such, it had a large role in the settlement of northern Michigan. In 1886, the railroad also built a line connecting Grand Rapids and Muskegon.
The primary business in the early years was timber and lumber. This shifted to tourism and the GR&I advertised itself as "The Fishing Line". In partnership with the Michigan Central Railroad, the company built and opened the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in 1887. In 1918, the GR&I was acquired by the Pennsylvania Railroad, which operated it until 1975. The Michigan DOT purchased it and leased it to the Michigan Northern Railroad until 1984.
Today, most of the line is gone. The portion of the line between Grand Rapids and Cadillac has become the White Pine Trail. The line between Marne and Muskegon has become the Musketawa Trail.
Sources:
Proud Lake Superior Member