Welcome to the official web site of the Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.!

 
PM Wyoming Back Shop, circa 1947

News

PMHS and the Plymouth Historical Museum Announce Agreement to House PMHS Archives - On August 6, 2021, the Pere Marquette Historical Society and the Plymouth Historical Museum signed an agreement for the Plymouth Historical Museum (PHM) to house and provide access to the PMHS Archives. We jointly issued a press release announcing this the morning of August 7.

“As someone who has been a member of the Society since the very beginning and was fortunate enough to know several of the founders of the society who have since died, it’s wonderful to know that we finally have a home for all the material they worked so hard to preserve,” said PHMS President Thomas J. Gaffney.

After a decade of storage in various locations that have not been convenient for members or the general public, this agreement will once again make the Archive available to researchers, and will increase the visibility of the PMHS.

“We are excited to welcome this wonderful addition to the PHM archive,” said PHM Executive Director Liz Kerstens. “Plymouth was a hub for PMRR as both north-south and east-west tracks crossed here. Once the collection is processed, researchers will be able to delve into the rich railroad history of Plymouth and Michigan.” Posted Aug. 7, 2021

Holland Historical Trust Raising Funds to Restore and Repaint Caboose #A967 - Throughout 2021, the Holland Historical Trust has been working on restoring and repainting PM caboose #A967, which is on display at the Padnos Transportation Center in Holland. This has involved repairing or replacing ageing woodwork and metal and having a complete repainting performed by a professional firm. The PMHS has supported this effort by providing photos and drawings from its archive.

To raise funds for this project, the Trust has established a GoFundMe campaign to raise $10,000. Please consider contributing to this cause, at https://www.gofundme.com/f/choochoo-help-restore-the-red-caboose. Posted Aug. 16, 2021

Pere Marquette HO Modelers' Guide Updated - An updated copy of the Pere Marquette HO Modelers' Reference Guide has been posted to the Model Railroading Resources page on this site. Posted Mar. 10, 2021

The PMHS Has A New Mailing Address - Effective immediately, the official mailing address for the PMHS is changed to Post Office Box 233, Perry, Michigan 48872-0233. All correspondence, including dues payments and other inquiries should be directed to this address. Posted Sep. 19, 2019

A New Board of Directors Elected at August Meeting - At the August 10, 2019 Special Membership Meeting called by President Bob VandeVusse, we elected a new Board of Directors. By acclamation, the members present elected new President T.J. Gaffney, Vice President Hugh J. Hales II, and Secretary/Treasurer Tim Parker. Our new Board has already met and has begun conducting the Society's business. Brief introductions to the new Board members will appear in Issue #118 of PM Tracks. Posted Aug. 11, 2019

The PMHS

The Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc. (PMHS) was founded in 1995 as a means of collecting and disseminating information regarding the Pere Marquette Railroad. Our membership is made up of historians, former employees, modelers, and railfans. If you are interested in the PM, we encourage you to join.

The Pere Marquette Railroad Company was formed in 1900 by the merger of numerous Michigan railroads, the most prominent of them being the Flint and Pere Marquette, the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western, and the Chicago and West Michigan. During its existence, it came under the control of several other railroads at one time or another, including the Baltimore and Ohio and the Erie. In the 1920s, it came under the control of Oris and Mantis Van Sweringen, two financiers from Cleveland who also controlled the Nickel Plate, the Erie, and the Chesapeake and Ohio. Over the years, the C&O gained more and more control over the PM, until on June 6, 1947 the PM was formally merged into the Chesapeake and Ohio.

The Pere Marquette operated over trackage stretching from Buffalo, New York to Chicago, and from Bay View (Petoskey) Michigan to Toledo, Ohio, with trackage in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Ontario. In addition to its strictly rail operations, the PM also operated railway car ferries on the Detroit and St. Clair rivers, and a fleet of car ferries from Ludington across Lake Michigan to Milwaukee, Kewaunee and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Nearly all of the trackage CSX operates in Michigan today is former PM trackage.

Please Note: The PMHS is unable to provide information regarding specific PM employees, as we do not possess any of the PM's employment records.

• Tom Amrine
• Dennis Bean-Larson
• Willard Benedict
• Ben Boshoven
• Gary Boyer
• J.C. Carlson
• Art Chavez
• Bob DeClerg

• William Dewey
• T.J. Gaffney
• Eddie Gross
• Hugh J. Hales II
• Max S. Hanley
• E.L. Huddleston
• Roger Kirkpatrick
• Chuck Neal

• Paul Quintus
• Bob Sanford
• Leon Schaddelee
• Phil Shuster
• Leon Schaddelee
• Robert Vande Vusse
• Cliff Vander Yacht
• Dave Zelisse