Nostalgia & History > MI - Sturgis depot

Sturgis MI has a lovely station on its freight only line. It's currently the headquarters of the local historical society.

This station looks like it could be transported to almost any Lackawanna town, it bears a close resemblance to several suburban NJ stations. I don't know if this station is of Pennsylvania Railroad or New York Central heritage.

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"Lackawanna484,"

I've been enjoying your little journey through the Midwest and your search for interesting stations along the way. The Sturgis MI depot is of Lake Shore and Michigan Southern (NYC) heritage. It is on the original Toledo to Elkhart (and Chicago) LS&MS line across Michigan's lower tier of counties. After the much straighter and faster "Air Line" between Toledo and Elkhart was completed in the late 1800's, the original line through Michigan became known as the "Old Road." Adrian and Blissfield Railroad, which operates a portion of the line around Adrian MI, is even nicknamed "The Old Road." There are several restored stations along the route, including the one you found at Sturgis, as well as those in Coldwater, White Pigeon, Jonesville and Hillsdale. The old station building in Hillsdale, once an important LS&MS hub and division point, is used today as the headquarters for the Indiana Northeastern Railroad, which operates the "Old Road" between Hillsdale and Coldwater, along with other ex NYC & WAB trackage in Michigan and Indiana. The Sturgis station you photographed is of vintage LS&MS design, and I've attached a couple others extant along the "Air Line" at Wauseon and Stryker Ohio, so you can compare the similar pattern of architecture. The GR&I (PRR) Richmond IN to Mackinaw City MI line, indeed, did cross the Old Road at "RK" Tower in Sturgis, just west of the depot, but its Sturgis depot is long gone.

Today, the Old Road trackage through Sturgis is operated by Michigan Southern Railroad, based a few miles to the west in White Pigeon MI.

Cheers,

aussiehinz



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/11 15:32 by aussiehinz.

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Nice depot shots.
I remember when that Stryker, OH station was the town's police station in the 1990's
as I was allowed INSIDE for photos back in 1994.
SJS