Source: The L'Anse Sentinel
L'Anse, Baraga county, Mi.
June 13, 1891 Saturday
The Longest Logging R. R.
The longest logging railroad in Mi., and probably in the world is that of the Manistique Lumber Co. It extends from the village of Manistique, Schoolcraft county, back into the pin forests of Luce county, a distance of 50 miles. Thos. Olivier, superintendent of this road, gave to a Free Press reporter the other day the following information concerning the company operating the road: "The Manistique Lumbering Co., is owned by Alger, Smith & Co., and Abijah Weston, of Painted Post, N. Y.," said Mr. Olivier, "its operations the past year were somewhat of those for proceeding years. During last winter we hauled over the railroad to Manistique over 330 million feet of logs and banked 28 million feet on the Manistique river. 7.3 miles of the company at the village of Manistique are water power mills and have annual sawing capacity of 100 thousand feet. The population of the town is about 3,000 and supported by the mill and lumbering operations. Mr. Weston has just completed a blast furnace at Manisitique, the advantage being the cheapness of charcoal. There are immense tracts of hardwood in the county around Manistique. The iron ore is brought from the mines over the C&NW and Minneapolis road (MStP&SSM).* Alger, Smith & Co., recently sold a large tract of their lumber to Ball & Munson of Bay Mills on Lake Superior, 13 miles from S. S. Marie and it is understood that the latter company will lumber about 20 million feet a year."
* Or the DSS&A ?
Manistique Lbr. Co.
DSS&A
Soo Line
