Page 10 - Wayne Dispatch Pages

The Wayne Junction

In 1832 it was decided to build a
railroad from Detroit to Chicago to
connect these two growing cities. The
cost would be $3,200 per mile due
to the unimproved and wild wilder-
ness that the tracks had to cross. In
any case construction began at De-
troit and reached Wayne by 1836,
with the first train not arriving until
February 1838. That first train could tracks. Around the same time a new
hold 66 people and could travel at north-south railroad was being run
the "dangerous" speed of 11 mph. It between Monroe and Holly, which
also often needed horses to pull it up reached Wayne in 1871. This new
inclines or if the weight was too railroad, the Flint and Pere-Mar-
much. There was no depot in Wayne quette, also known as the Holly,
at the time, passengers just got off Wayne and Monroe railroad began Wayne Junction, 1890s.
the train onto the ground or perhaps operating in 1875. which still goes on today, and is still also hurt the passenger train system,
a small platform. Wayne now was at a junction of a largely based on shipping by rail. with Wayne’s passenger depot being
The railroad continued to be built north-south and east-west railroad, In 1898, the Detroit streetcar sys- demolished in 1924 and not re-
west, hitting Dexter by 1841 and fi- making an ideal site for industry. At tem had followed Michigan Avenue placed.
nally Chicago in the 1850s, nearly 20 the junction, a hotel popped up in out to Wayne and continued on to The railroad could have passed
years after they started in Detroit. the 1870s called the Fie House, it Jackson and beyond. A streetcar sta- through any number of small settle-
Wayne got its first train depot and still survives as it was moved to the tion was on the SE corner of Michi- ments, but we are lucky they chose a
freight house in 1855, the depot later end of Brush Street and became a gan and Wayne Road until the 1930s. sleepy little town of less than 100
being moved to Sophia and becom- house. In 1888, citing Wayne’s great A branch of the streetcar began at people back in 1838. The two rail-
ing a house. Both buildings were railroad access, a carriage company Wayne going up to Northville and be- roads that run through Wayne are
torn down in the 1960s. In 1872 a set up shop and ran successfully for yond. The streetcar system lasted still very active today, and Wayne
new larger passenger depot was built many years, beginning a tradition of until 1928 when the increase in au- owes a great debt to them for 180
just east of Wayne road along the cars and automotive manufacturing tomobiles hurt their business. This years of growth.

10 · June 2024 · The Wayne Dispatch