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.
Log banking grounds near Curran
Curran:
The village of Curran traces its beginnings to a lumber camp built here by Philip Curran in 1875. The village, itself, began around 1886. A post office was established in 1890 and remains open today. In 1908, the Loud & Sons Lumber Company built a narrow gauge logging railroad spur from Crooked Lake Junction (later Hardy) to, then beyond the town. There were several lumber camps in the area around and east of the village with Curran serving as the home for many area lumber jacks and their families.
It is believed that the Curran Grocery Store, still standing across the street from the post office, served as the station when passenger service was established. at Curran was at the Curran Grocery store, still standing. The rail line passed through town west to east with the main line at the fence line on the south side of the post office.
Curran Grocery Store. Grade was in tree and bush line on right side of photo.
The survival of the village into the 21st century probably has to do with the construction of Michigan Highway 65 passing through town. When the lumbering boom was over, there was little other than farming of less than fertile soil to keep folks here.
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.
Potts made a bold attempt to connect his isolated lumber railroad to the outside world and become a common carrier (passengers and other freight). By early 1891, he extended the line south-east to connect with the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad and Great Lakes Shipping docks in Au Sable. In doing so, Potts overextended the company and it failed financially. The troubled Potts Logging Railway and its parent, J.E. Potts Lumber and Salt Company was purchased by the H.M. Loud Lumber Company on July 17th, 1891. Henry M. Loud reorganized the railroad as the Au Sable and Northwestern Railroad.
A fire at the railroad shops in McKinley in 1900 prompted the railroad to move its headquarters to Commins, several miles north and prompted the railroad to relocate its line north of Russell through Hardy, McCollums and Millen by 1907, and abandon the original line to McKinley.
AS&NW Curran Branch with additional logging lines in gold
Once the new "north branch" from Russell to Comins was in service, the AS&NW extended itself east from Hardy in on what was known as the Curran Branch. It passed south of Crooked Lake, crossing M-72 twice before settling into Curran in 1908. From there, in 1910, the line ventured north-east into stands of timber around Wildcat Swamp and in the areas of Kelly Hills and Chin Whisker Hill, to camps known as Byers and Beevers. The portion east of Curran remained in service until 1917. The portion between Hardy and Curran was converted to "standard gauge" after the Detroit & Macinac Railway took over the AS&NW and remained in service until former AS&NW was abandoned in 1927.
Cache:
The cache is a two stage multi cache with a first stage field puzzle at the posted coordinates. The posted coordinates are where the railroad grade crossed Main Street, what is now M-65. Examine the single story building about 70' NW from GZ to fill in the missing portions of the cache coordinates below. The text in question is on the east end of the building. Letter codes are A=1, B=2, etc.
- N44o 41.ABC' W83o 48.DEF'
- A = Fifth character on second line.
- B = Last character on the second line, plus 1
- C = Eleventh character on the second line, minus 2
- D = Last character on the first line
- E = First character on the second line
- F = Twelfth character on the second line, plus 1
- Check your solution
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.
- AS&NW History
- RRHX: Au Sable & Northwestern Railroad
- Detroit and Mackinac Railway
- Detroit and Mackinac Historical Society
- Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University
- Pickups and a Horse, William Ellis, 1935, © 1975 Mary Jane Hennigar
- Michigan Place Names, Walter Romig, © 1986 Wayne State University Press
- Michigan Railroads and Railroad Companies, Graydon M. Meints © 1992, Michigan State University Press
- Michigan Railroad Lines, Graydon M. Meints © 2005, Michigan State University Press
- James S. Hannum, Michigan and Washington railroad history author.
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