Daylight only! This cache is not at the posted coordinates. To determine the location of the cache, solve the puzzle below. The posted coordinates for this cache are at the former Chesapeake and Ohio depot, and are also the same coordinates for a traditional cache that had a habit of wandering off. The depot and right of way are now the Vestaburg Historical Society and the Fred Meijer Heartland Trail. Please respect trail rules (dawn to dusk).
"Photo used with the permission of Mr. Conn and Clarke Historical Library"
Passengers embark and debark at Vestaburg, about 1890
Cache:
The location of the cache can be found by doing a little reading and homework, and answering the following questions. Plug the results in to this:
N 43° 24.ABC W 084° 54.DEF
- A = Acording to the 19A7 Michigan Gazateeer and Business Directory...
- B = In the same sentence as question A, how many churches are listed?
- C = Subtract the year the the railroad line between Lakeview and Howard City was abandoned from the year the PM became part of the C&O, then subtract four.
- D = What is the ones digit of the year the railroad was extended through Amble to Howard City?
- E = What is the tens digit of the year several lines were reorganized as the DGR&W
- F = Subtract the year the railroad line was built from St. Louis to Cedar Lake from the year the line was built to connect St. Louis and Alma, then add one.
Vestaburg:
According to the 1907 Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory, Vestaburg had a population of 350, a post office, Methodist church, Church of God, pickle salting station, grain elevator, bicycle repair, dress maker, carpet weaver, grocer, creamery, general store, dressmaker, blacksmith, hardware, a boarding house, a barber and a school. Today, Vestaburg still has a post office and its own school system, home of the Wolverines.
"Photo used with the permission of Mr. Conn and Clarke Historical Library"
Pere Marquette Section Crew at the Vestaburg Depot, about 1920.
The Railroad:
The Howard City branch of the Pere Marquette Railroad had its roots in several subsidiaries owned or leased by the Detroit, Lansing & Northern Railroad. The Saginaw and Western was selected to represent the line in the cache title because it completed the branch and it had the longest ownership prior to the Pere Marquette.
In 1873, the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis Railroad built a railroad from Saginaw to St Louis. In 1875, the Saginaw and Grand Rapids Railroad, a subsidiary of the SV&SL, started construction of a proposed line to Grand Rapids, connecting St. Louis and Alma. Also in 1875, the Chicago, Saginaw and Canada Railroad, a competitor to the SV&SL, built the line between St. Louis, Elwell, Riverdale, Vestaburg and Cedar Lake. In 1878, the CS&C, in receivership, extended the line from Cedar Lake to Edmore where it connected the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad. In 1879, the CS&C extended the line through Six Lakes to Lakeview. In 1883, the CS&C was reorganized as the Saginaw and Western Railroad and was leased to the Detroit, Lansing & Northern. In 1886, the S&W extended the line through Amble to Howard City where it connected with the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad and another D&LN line through Greenville to Ionia. In 1897, the S&W, the S&GR and DL&N were reorganized as the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western. In 1899-1900, the DGR&W became part of the Pere Marquette Railroad.
More highways, trucks, and personal automobiles siphoned business away from railroads. Mergers also contributed to some lines being unnecessary. The line between Lakeview and Howard City was abandoned and removed in 1943. The PM became part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in 1947. What remained of this line was part of the Grand Rapids Division , which ran from Elmdale, through Lowell, Belding, Greenville, Stanton and to Edmore and then east to Saginaw. In the fifties, sixties and seventies, it was not unusual to see very long trains on this alternate route to Grand Rapids. The C&O was merged into CSX Transportation in 1987. The line was removed between Edmore and Elwell in 1988. The line was abandoned between Alma and Elwell in 2003.
Today, the right of way between Edmore and Alma is part of the Fred Meijer Heartland Trail, a very nice paved trail to ride or walk. The depot is used by the trail and the village of Vestaburg for special events and arts and craft shows. Look on the trailhead sign for more information. Thanks to Friends of Fred Meijer Heartland Trail and the “depot lady” for allowing us to have a cache at this site.
Listing re-purposed from GC4E63Q and updated 4/16/21.
Sources:
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