SWS - Howard City on the DL&LM (PM) Multi-Cache

This cache is not at the posted coordinates. It is a simple puzzle with the final hidden very close to the former Pere Marquette Railroad right of way. This cache is not available 24/7. This cache is one of three replacements for the traditional cache, GC4E683, which was a frequent target for muggles.

^{UpNorth Memories - Donald (Don) Harrison collection, used with Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)}
Union Station in 1915, GR&I train on left, PM train on the right.

Howard City

The original plat (see sources) for the village of Howard was registered in November, 1869. The settlement was established by Benjamin Ensly, who owned the land, E.W. Muenscher and a Mr. Shaw. Muenscher was a civil engieer for the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad. The settlement was named for William A. Howard, the land commissioner of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad (GR&I) from 1869 to 1871, and president of the GR&I from August 1871 through November, 1872.

A post office opened in Howard City on January 12^th, 1870, with John B. Spencer as postmaster. The 1872 plat of the First Addition (see sources) still shows the name of the village as Howard. The settlement was incorporated as the village of Howard City in 1873. The 1874 plat of the Second Addition shows the name Howard City. Some sources say that between February 2^nd, 1895 and January 19^th, 1899 the name of the post office was shortened to Howard but this has not been verified. It would make more sense that the Post Office was originally named Howard and changed to Howard City when the village was incorporated.

^{Postcard image courtesy of Edmore Pine Forest Historical Museum}
Downtown Howard City, relocated after the 1883 fire.

Main street was originally Ensley Street (Federal Road, old US 131). A massive fire in 1883 destroyed many of the downtown buildings. The business district then developed on Edgerton Street. The town developed rapidly around a railroad junction. By 1877 the population was already around 1000. Twenty years later, the population was reported as 1400.

Early industry included Henry Henkel's saw mill on Tamarack Creek, east of the GR&I tracks and his lumber yard on the west side. By the mid 1880s, H.H. McCall had a planing mill south of what is now Shaw street west of the GR&I main line and T.C. Prout had a flour mill just to the east, served by the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad (DL&N). By 1892, Charles Skinner and and Henry Steenman had a Furniture factory north of Tamarack Creek, served by both the GR&I and the DL&N. Howard City was somewhat famous in the 1900s for the Olsen Knife Company.

^{Standard Atlas of Montcalm County, Michigan, G.A. Ogle & Co, 1921, UofM Digital Library}
1921 plat of Howard City with GR&I (pink), and PM lines highlighted: DL&LM (yellow) and S&W (lt. blue).

Railroads

During the railroad building boom, Howard City was the recipient of three rail lines. The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad arrived on June 22^nd, 1869, coming from the south. The Second line, the Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan Railroad (DL&LM), reached Howard City in 1871, connecting from Greenville and points south-east. The third line, the Saginaw and Western Railroad (S&W) arrived as an extension of a line from Saginaw to Lakeview in August, 1886. All three lines made use of Union Depot built by the GR&I. The S&W and DL&LM eventually became part of the Pere Marquette Railroad (PM).

^{1909 Detroit Pathfinder, Google Books}
1909 Schedule showing 4 passenger trains daily on the PM over the former DL&LM and S&W lines.

Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan Railroad

The second rail line to reach Howard City was started by the Ionia and Lansing Railroad (I&L) and completed by the Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan Railroad. The line connected Greenville with Ionia in 1870 and was completed to Howard City in 1871. It is widely believed that the DL&LM never had its own depot in Howard City. Instead, with the arrival of the new line, the GR&I moved its depot from the west side of its line to the east side and shared the site with the DL&LM whose track was on the east side of the moved depot.

The DL&LM was reorganized in 1876 as the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad. The DL&N also had control of the S&W. The DL&N was reorganized in 1897 as the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western Railroad. In 1899 the DGR&W was purchased by the new Pere Marquette Railroad which started operating on January 1^st, 1900. The PM became the largest rail line in the state of Michigan.

In 1900, the PM purchased the Grand Rapids, Belding and Saginaw Railroad, which connected Lowell with Belding. In 1901,the PM built a connection between Greenville and Stanton. This line became part of the Grand Rapids to Saginaw Main Line. Heavy trains regularly traveled this line, which shortened the distance substantially over traveling from Ionia to Howard City and then east. The original Ionia to Howard City line (DL&LM) was deemed redundant and was abandoned in 1942 (Ionia to Greenville) and 1943 (Greenville to Howard City).

Cache:

The cache is a three stage field puzzle. Be aware that the cache is not available at all times.

• Stage 1: The posted coordinates bring you to a commemorative plaque. Use information on this plaque to determine the location of the cache defined by stages 2 and 3.
  
  
• Stage 2: Coordinates of the cache are at: N 43° 23.ABC W 085° 28.DEF
  A = Number of names of people on the plaque.
  B = The fourth digit of the year listed on the plaque.
  C = Number of board members (not counting the director).
  D = Number of middle initials on the plaque.
  E = Number of letters in the position held by Mary Ann.
  F = Number of letters in the last name of the Board Chairman
  A+B+C=19, D+E+F=17
  
  
• Stage 3: Use this information to determine which cover to look behind: UVW.XYZ
  U = Number of letters in the last name of the Vice Chairman.
  V = Number of trustees listed on the plaque.
  W = Number of letters in the first name of Trustee Curtis.
  X = First digit of the year listed on the plaque.
  Y = Number of letters in the first name of Trustee Zylstra.
  Z = Number of words beginning with L, T and Z.
  U+V+W=13, X+Y+Z=16

Sources:

• Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan Railroad
• Detroit, Lansing & Northern Railroad
• Pere Marquette Railroad
• RRHX: Howard City
• RRHX: Michigan Railroad History Home Page
• Flickr: Don...The UpNorth Memories Guy... Harrison.
• Original Nov. 1869 Plat of the Village of Howard by Ensley, Muenscher & Shaw
• 1872 plat of the First Addition to Howard
• 1874 plat of the First Addition to Howard City
• Standard Atlas of Montcalm County, 1921, G.A. Ogle & Co., UofM Historical Library
• Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University
• Timothy C. Hauenstein Reynolds Township Library.
• Michigan Railroads and Railroad Companies, Graydon M. Meints © 1992, Michigan State University Press
• Michigan Railroad Lines, Graydon M. Meints © 2005, Michigan State University Press
• Michigan Place Names, Walter Romig, © 1986 Wayne State University Press