Beyond Shingle Diggin's

Published May 17, 1995

Probably one of the biggest celebrations ever seen at Paw Paw Lake was on July 4th in 1896, held to acclaim the steam railroad tracks which went as far that day as Jenk’s Resort or Pleasant View Station, right across the road from the farm home of Mr. and Mrs. Orrin Woodward who had started taking guests in 1890. Chaired by the prime mover of the railroad spur, Dr. W. A. Baker, the committee brought in entertainers from Chicago. The grove of trees, which later became part of Woodward’s Resort, provided shade for picnickers, who came by droves, many across on the boat to St. Joseph and by rail (by now part of the Pere Marquette line) to Coloma, then transferring to the Paw Paw Lake spur. Some 5,000 people attended (a complete description of the day in “Trails From Shingle Diggin’s” Page 229 - M. B. Stark).

By 1900, four years later, this railroad was extended via Strong’s and Ellinee to Williams Park, which was a large, shady picnic area for the public and resorters (now occupied by condos). About this time the South Haven and Eastern line between Kalamazoo and South Haven was persuaded to put a spur branching off their line to Toquin and joining Baker’s railroad near William’s Park. Now it was possible to travel by rail all the way from Chicago to South Haven or Kalamazoo, partly along the shores of beautiful Paw Paw Lake. But by 1910 this track was abandoned. Something better came along!

Dr. Baker did not rest on his laurels. Hardly had the success of his steam railroad settled in before he began campaigning for an electrical train between St. Joseph and Paw Paw Lake.

Probably from the pen of James O. Stevic, who was the editor in 1904, came this article in the Coloma Courier of March 1, 1904:

“Electric Rail Road – Shall we secure it, or let it go by default! A small effort now will mean much later! The Interurban Railway, which we have looked longingly for during the past two years, has now reached that stage of progress where it is a sure thing for that part of the line between Benton Harbor and Paw Paw Lake, provided people of Twelve Corners, Coloma, and adjacent territory put their shoulders to the wheel and assist in putting in the balance of the grade. W. A. Baker, president of the company, has a proposition from Chicago parties to furnish the balance of the funds to build that much of the line if the right of way and grade is put in by home people.

“Mr. Baker informs us that he has two-thirds of the right of way paid for and about half of the grading but is unable to complete it without the assistance of the people along the line. If you desire to see the road built this spring, be ready to put your name down for a liberal donation or a share or two of stock, when the committee calls on you. The proposition from the financiers must be answered quickly.”

These efforts were evidently doomed to disappointment, for before anymore was complete, the Benton Harbor - St. Joseph Railway Company came through with a different route and it seemed Dr. Baker’s efforts and investment seemed to have been in vain. The successful interurban route went through Millburg, entering Coloma near Farmer Friday’s and proceeding through the ravine alongside Tannery Creek, crossing the Paw Paw River on a trestle, up the hill along Paw Paw Avenue to the hilltop just above the paper mill.

Whereas the 1871 Railroad created the town of Riverside because the state required stations every five miles, the Interurban gave Millburg a big boost, as seen in this article in the Courier of September 1910:

“MILLBURG ENJOYS LIVELY BOOM … Salting Station and Canning Factory Established There This Year … New life has been given this hamlet. Stores report better business than ever before … One of the great needs of the place now is a feed and tie barn where farmers may put teams in and have them protected from the weather while they go to Benton Harbor or Coloma on the electric line. Far more freight is handled at the Millburg station than from any other point on the Benton Harbor – St. Joseph Railway line.

“Millburg is the center of a good farming community with farmers driving there with shipments to Chicago via interurban and steamers. It’s no uncommon sight nowadays to see 100 or more teams in Millburg at one time. It is even hinted that a drugstore may be opened there before another summer.”