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.
Big wheel hard at work for loggers along the AS&NW near Lewiston.
Bear Lake:
Logging camps around Big and Little Bear Lake were served by at least two railroads. The Michigan Central had a branch on the east shore of Big Bear lake and another west of Little Bear Lake. The Au Sable and Northwestern served the area north and north-west of the lakes, with two spurs reaching Big Bear Lake.
The AS&NW business in the area was short lived. The North Branch was extended from Lewiston to Bear lake in 1897 and was abandoned by by the end of 1898. The Loud Company, owners of the AS&NW, were either very efficient loggers or realized the competition was to tough.
AS&NW (green) and the Michigan Central (blue) at Bear Lake.
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 south-west into northern Ogemaw County, then west, then north back in to Oscoda County, along Big Creek to Luzerne. This line is referred to as the South Branch or Ogemaw Branch. At the same time, a second line was built northwest to what would become Fairview, then on to lumber camps at a place called Tong in north-west Oscoda County. This line eventually reached Twin Lakes (Lewiston) in Montmorency County and Bear Lake in south-western Otsego County. It was referred to the North Branch or Lewiston Branch.
Potts attempted 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 were 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 and changed the name of Potts to McKinley.
Bear Lake on the AS&NW North Branch, circa 1897-1898.
The North Branch grew and shrunk over years it was in service. It stretched to Lewiston and Bear lake for a few years before it shrunk back to a few miles east of Fairview in 1900 when a fire wiped out the railroad facilities in McKinley. The railroad headquarters was moved to Commins as a new branch from the North Branch had been built there. In 1907, the remainder of the old North Branch was abandoned and moved east to reach timber east and between Hardy and Commins.
Cache:
The cache is a traditional hide on the Big Bear Lake Nature Trail, also the grade.
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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