Toledo and South Haven Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Toledo and South Haven Railroad was a narrow gauge
railroad that connected the Michigan
communities of
Lawrence
, Hartford
and South Haven
. It filed for incorporation April 1, 1876 and was bought by Fred M. Steele and re-named the South Haven and Eastern in 1894. The railroad had considerable financial and legal difficulties from the start.
leased its track to the T&SH in hopes of recovering from a $3000 debt and a 60% drop in stock value. The company had graded a route between Paw Paw
and Lawton
with financial help from the Michigan Central
in 1867.
With 9 miles (14.5 km) of track between Lawrence and Paw Paw, the T&SH looked to expand. A section of track between Lawrence and Hartford was completed in 1883. In 1884 the two companies signed an agreement that funds obtained through the sale of stocks and bonds would be used to complete 10 miles (16.1 km) of rail east of Lawton or west of Hartford. Two years later an incomplete extension from Hartford to South Haven was purchased.
.
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
railroad that connected the Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
communities of
Lawrence
Lawrence, Michigan
Lawrence is a village in Van Buren County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,059 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Lawrence Township. Home of noted journalist Paul Garrod and the annual Ox Roast and Homecoming festival. Area recognized Farmer's Market runs...
, Hartford
Hartford, Michigan
Hartford is a city in Van Buren County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,476 at the 2000 census. The city is located within Hartford Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
and South Haven
South Haven, Michigan
South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The population was 5,021 at the 2000 census....
. It filed for incorporation April 1, 1876 and was bought by Fred M. Steele and re-named the South Haven and Eastern in 1894. The railroad had considerable financial and legal difficulties from the start.
Acquisition of Paw Paw Railroad
In 1878 the Paw Paw RailroadPaw Paw Railroad
The Paw Paw Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in Van Buren County, Michigan, between 1857 and 1887. At a length of , it was the shortest operating common carrier railroad in the state...
leased its track to the T&SH in hopes of recovering from a $3000 debt and a 60% drop in stock value. The company had graded a route between Paw Paw
Paw Paw, Michigan
Paw Paw is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 3,363. It is the county seat of Van Buren County.-Overview:...
and Lawton
Lawton, Michigan
Lawton is a village in Van Buren County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,859.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
with financial help from the Michigan Central
Michigan Central Railroad
The Michigan Central Railroad was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada...
in 1867.
With 9 miles (14.5 km) of track between Lawrence and Paw Paw, the T&SH looked to expand. A section of track between Lawrence and Hartford was completed in 1883. In 1884 the two companies signed an agreement that funds obtained through the sale of stocks and bonds would be used to complete 10 miles (16.1 km) of rail east of Lawton or west of Hartford. Two years later an incomplete extension from Hartford to South Haven was purchased.
Legal Trouble
Chas. F. Young filed suit in 1887 in order to stop the sale of the PPR on the grounds that the sale of an incomplete railroad was illegal. Young initially won, but during the proceedings of the 1889 appeal, the T&SH defense made it known that they had bought the PPR with an assurance from Young that his company was actively building a link between Paw Paw and Lawton. Furthermore, all PPR assets had been leased, excluding the actual grade.Financial Trouble and Sale
Even after completing a link to Lawton, the T&SH was unable to stay fiscally solvent. The cost of litigation may have played a role, as well as the unanticipated expense of building the Paw Paw to Lawton track. In 1893 the company was ordered to pay $306,397 in foreclosure to Farmers Loan and Trust Company. The company was bought a year later by Chicago businessman Fred Steele, who renamed it the South Haven and Eastern. By 1898 the SH&E track had been converted to standard gauge. This company would later play a large role in the forming of the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago RailwayKalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago Railway
The Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago Railway operated on track laid between Kalamazoo and South Haven, Michigan. Much of the track has been removed and is now known as the "Van Buren Trail"....
.