East Jordan and Southern Railroad

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The East Jordan and Southern Railroad was a shortline railroad that operated from 1901 to 1962 between East Jordan and Bellaire, Michigan.

East Jordan, Michigan City in Michigan, United States

East Jordan is a city in Charlevoix County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,351 at the 2010 census.

Bellaire, Michigan Village in Michigan, United States

Bellaire is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,086 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Antrim County. The town has a very scenic main street, and is a popular location for tourists. Bellaire is also home to the Antrim County Courthouse, a historic structure built in 1905. The Antrim Review, the county's newspaper of record, is headquartered in Bellaire.

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History

During the lumbering era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the area around the Jordan River was a prime spot for lumbering. The East Jordan & Southern's main purpose of creation was to haul the harvested lumber from the Hitchcock lumber camp to Bellaire where the logs would be transported by the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad to various sawmills. Along with the lumber industry, the East Jordan Iron Works also provided a large sum of the railroad's profits. After the lumber ran out during the 1920s, the railroad became more and more reliant on the industry in East Jordan and Bellaire for business. This was so until the East Jordan Iron Works decided to stop using the railroad in 1962, and the line was abandoned.

The Jordan River is a 24.9-mile-long (40.1 km) stream in the northwestern part of the lower peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the largest tributary of Lake Charlevoix. The Jordan's headwaters rise from springs in the upper Jordan River Valley northeast of Mancelona in Antrim County. The Jordan River was the first river to be designated in Michigan's Natural Rivers Program.

Sawmill facility where logs are cut into timber

A sawmill or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern saw mills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes. The "portable" saw mill is iconic and of simple operation—the logs lay flat on a steel bed and the motorized saw cuts the log horizontally along the length of the bed, by the operator manually pushing the saw. The most basic kind of saw mill consists of a chainsaw and a customized jig, with similar horizontal operation.

Two crossroads on the line south and west over the ancient sand dunes to Bellaire were named Marble, and Mount Bliss Most likely these were flag stops so a passenger would have to wait in the general store until the train whistled and came chugging into town. Everyone in the store that was waiting for the train would scurry out and pay their fare and ride the train. Many of the school children commuted on this train for high school classes and the families would have paid a fee for attending the East Jordan High School rather than attend small country schools.

The railroad today

The railroad tracks are gone, but most of the ties of the former railroad grade are still intact. As for Hitchcock, many small foundations can be found where the camp once stood. The Depot in East Jordan also still stands.

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