This cache was hidden as part of the tRails Along the Au Sable Geocache Rail Tour, presented by Silent Whistles, the Oscoda - Au Sable Historical Museum, and the Steiner Museum. Record the milepost value contained on and/or in each cache container on the Ticket to Au Sable form. See the additional information below for specific tour requirements.
Cooke Dam under construction, 1910
Cooke Dam:
Cooke Dam was the first of six hydroelectric dams built on the Au Sable River for Consumers Power Company. Construction began in 1910 and was completed in late 1911. Cooke Dam and the other Dam's to built over the next fifteen years may have been the saving grace of the towns of Oscoda and Au Sable after devastating fire of 1911.
The Au Sable & Northwestern Railroad, likely being operated by the Detroit & Mackinac Railroad by then, built a short spur from the main just west of Bissonette to the construction site, parallel to Old Bissonette Road.
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Cooke Dam Pay Car
Railroad:
In 1886, the J.E. Potts Lumber and Salt Company built a narrow gauge (3' between the rails) logging railroad from it's company headquarters at Potts (later McKinley) in eastern Oscoda County. On July 27th, 1887. Potts organized the railroad as the Potts Logging Railway. The railroad was constructed in two different directions from Potts to tap stands of timber. One line was built northwest to what would become Fairview, then on to lumber camps at a place called Tong in north-west Oscoda County. A second line was built south-west into northern Ogemaw County, then west, then north back in to Oscoda County, along Big Creek to Lewiston.
AS&NW / D&M Au Sable River Branch, Doane to Lott, ~1915.
Potts connected his isolated lumber railroad to the Au Sable by 1891 and become a common carrier (passengers and other freight), but doing so overextended the company and it failed financially. On July 17th of that year, the H. M. Loud Lumber Company purchased the Potts company and reorganized the railroad as the Au Sable and Northwestern Railroad. Loud harvested logs along the railroad, taking up some lines and extending them elsewhere for the next twenty years.
A devastating fire in 1911 fire in Oscoda and Au Sable all but wiped out the lumber company and the towns. On June 1st, 1912, the Detroit and Mackinac Railway leased the AS&NW with the option to purchase. The option was exercised on June 1, 1914. The D&M had an interest in havesting remaining lumber, but also used the railroad to haul construction equipment and materials to several hydro-electric dam sites along the river. In late 1915 and early 1916, the D&M converted the main line to Commins and a branch to Curran from narrow to standard gauge (4' 8 1/2" between the rails). An anticipating influx of farmers and settlers following the timber harvest did not materialize, largely due to World War I. The railroad suffered over time and in 1927, the D&M finally abandoned what had become their Au Sable River Branch.
Cache:
The cache is a traditional hide on the mainline grade a little more than a miles west of the site of the junction to the dam spur.
To claim a prize:
- Download and print the Ticket to Au Sable (PDF).
- As an aide, download and print the RAAS Recommended Route Map (PDF).
- Find at least 46 of the 57 (80%) cache hides in the table below.
- Find at least seven of the ten mystery and multi caches, in any combination.
- Record the milepost value from each cache you find on this form. Milepost numbers are on cache labels and log book covers. Do not record the milepost value in your log at geocaching.com or it will be deleted.
- 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.
- Send the completed form via US Mail to the address on the form. Each GC account holder must send in a form. One prize per completed form. One prize per GC Account. Multiple forms per mailing is encouraged.
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, while supplies last. One hundred prizes have been minted..
Resources:
Sources:
Many thanks to the hard work and research performed by Mr. Graydon Meints, which would have taken years to do on my own.
Also, thanks to Charles Conn for allowing the use of his collection of photographs at the Clarke Historical Library, and thanks to the Library staff for their help.
Also, thanks to James S. Hannum, Michigan and Washington railroad author, for sharing research, opinions and guidance along the right of way.
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