Arcadia's Railroad

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The Railroad's Story

In 1881, Henry Starke began construction on a narrow gauge railway to carry logs to early Arcadia, Michigan. In 1893, he began construction of a standard gauge railroad that would eventually reach Copemish 21 miles away.

The Railroad's Route through Manistee County

The narrow gauge railway ran east from Arcadia to a stop called Malcolm, a trip of about 5 miles. The standard gauge railway ran east from Arcadia 6.7 miles to Malcolm, another 10.6 miles to Henry, and then on to Copemish.  At Henry and Copemish the A&BRR connected with other railroads.

Key Stops along the Way

At one point, the A&BRR made eleven stops between Arcadia and Copemish. This exhibit includes what we know about a few of those stops.

Photo Album and Maps

These sections contain larger photos of the railway and maps. Many are blow-ups of the figures shown in other sections. Others are new.

Railroad Timeline

This is a consolidated list of Arcadia area railroad events by date.