In 1870 The State Line Railroad Company was chartered in Ohio. The purpose of its incorperation was to build a steam railroad of about five miles from Elm Street, Toledo, Ohio, to a connection with the Detroit Canada Southern and Toledo Company's tracks at Alexis, Ohio. This project was completed during the following year.

In 1871 The Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northern Railroad Company was incorporated in Michigan for the purpose of building and operating a railroad from Alexis, Ohio- the northern terminal of the State Line Railroad- to Ann Arbor, Michigan, a distance of about 40 miles. This project collapsed in the financial panic of 1873.

In 1876 James M. Ashley acquired the assets of the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northern Railroad and organized the Toledo and Ann Arbor Railroad Company and completed it in 1877. The State Line property was purchased in the same year.

For the purpose of extending this road to connections at South Lyon and Pontiac, Michigan, The Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Eastern Railroad Company was organized in 1880 and was built to South Lyon and graded to Pontiac. The imcomplete section, South Lyon to Pontiac, was sold to the Grand Trunk Railway Company in 1881, which extended its Michigan Air Line Division from Pontiac to Jackson, Michigan, through South Lyon.

About 1884 The Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Railroad Company was organized by a consolidation of the Toledo and Ann Arbor and The Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Eastern Companies, and its Northern Terminus designation as St. Louis in Gratiot County, Michigan.

Forty miles of the new line between Owosso and St. Louis was completed and opened in 1885, and the section between Leland ans Owosso in the following year. The line between Leland and South Lyon was abandoned in 1891 and in 1896 a new line was built- to the westward of Leland- between Ann Arbor and Whitmore Lake, shortening the distance between these stations approximately three miles.

In 1885 local interests constructed a road from Alma to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. In 1886 The Ann Arbor Company purchased this property and built a connecting line from St. Louis to Alma. That portion of the road from Ithaca to Alma via St. Louis was abandoned in 1896. At the same time the company purchased and made a part of its main line, the Ithica branch of the Detroit, Lansing and Northern R.R., extending from Alma to Ithica.

In 1885, the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Cadillac Railroad Company was organized to build a road from Mt. Pleasant, then the Northern Terminus, to Cadillac; the project was completed and the Corporation consolidated with the parent company in 1886.

In the following year the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Lake Michigan Company undertook the construction of a line from Cadillac to Frankfort, which was completed to Copemish in 1888, and the property sold to the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Company. In the mean time local interests had built a railroad, The Frankfort and South Eastern, from Frankfort to Copemish, affording the objective connection with boat service at Frankfort. This property was subsequently, in 1892, aquired by and incorporated with the Ann Arbor project.

About 1890 the company contracted the construction of two car ferry boats, designed to carry 24 30 ft. freight cars on thier own wheels. Car Ferry No. 1 was Places in commision in November, 1892, and Car Ferry No. 2 about a month later. Necessary docks for such operation were built at Frankfort and Kewaunee, Wisconsin, the eastern terminal of the Green Bay and Western Railroad and placed in commision. This was the first car ferry movement, where sea operation was contemplated, known to transportation.

The enterprise was complete but undeveloped when the panic of 1893 brought financial embarrassment and reorganization of the company.

On September 21st, 1895 the Ann Arbor Railroad Company was organized to take over the assets and property of the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railway Company, which has since continuously operated the property. Previous to 1896 the company used the Pennsylvania Lines terminal in Toledo. In 1895 the Cherry Street property was purchased, the present freight and passenger buildings erected and a line built from Ottawa River to Cherry Street and opened October 14, 1896. It has expanded its trans-lake service by developing ports for its ferry service at Menominee and Manistque, Michigan and Manitowoc and Kewaunee, Wisconsin, by which means it secures connection with all the companies operating railroads in Northern Michigan and Wisconsin.

See Vol 13 no.3 and Vol 14 No.1 of the Double A for a more detailed discussion.

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