Thompsonville in Time: A Northwestern Michigan Story, 1890-2021 - 4683

This book is the story of a small northwest Michigan village which resulted from the intersection of two major rail lines at the end of the 19th century. It’s early rapid growth and prosperity were based on the surrounding virgin forests and the successful initiation of the cross-Lake Michigan railcar transit via steam ferry boats constructed for this purpose under the direction of James M. Ashley and his Toledo and Ann Arbor Railroad. The town served as the junction for trains heading northwest from Ohio to the port of Frankfort on the Ann Arbor line and for trains heading north to Traverse City and eventually Petoskey, Michigan on what eventually became the Chesapeake and Ohio line. It became a busy stop for both passengers and freight, with many trains rumbling through the village daily. With the disappearance of the forests and the demand for hardwood products, the gradual decrease in rail traffic and the eventual demise of the cross-Lake ferry service in the 1980’s, the village witnessed a progressive diminution in its size, fiscal stability and regional importance. Many other towns and villages in the area eventually disappeared; somehow Thompsonville managed to hold on. The book concludes with a chapter about the potential future for Thompsonville. A future no longer dependent on rail transit or lumbering but on the development of recreational opportunities surrounding the village, such as the Betsie Valley Trail, and Crystal Mountain Resort. The influx of visitors and new residents that utilize these resources has given rise to a renewed interest in a revitalization of the village and its environs. In Praise of Thompsonville in Time Northwest Michigan history buffs are fortunate that Charles Kraus became interested in the Diamond Railroad Crossing and the fascinating history of Thompsonville, destined to become a metropolis. Not only did he obtain a Michigan Historic Marker for Thompsonville, he was passionate enough to write this book about the important players in this once vibrant village. Fueled by lumber and railroads, it once boasted a much larger population supporting these industries, until it fell victim to their loss in the early 1900s. Dedication and the wish to share and keep these stories alive means that this now small community’s contributions and life history are not lost. Although much like other area villages, Thompsonville’s distinction was the junction of two important railroads which are now immortalized. —Barbara Siepker, owner of the Leelanau Press and board vice president of the Leelanau County Historic Preservation Society Reading Thompsonville in Time brought back memories of stepping off a Chesapeake and Ohio train in 1952 near the town’s distinctive Diamond Crossing of the C&O and Ann Arbor tracks. As enthusiastic as I was back then about trains, I can only imagine the excitement that the two crossing railroads provided Thompsonville’s youth during the village’s halcyon days. Kraus’s extensive research enabled him to bring to life the peaks and plateaus of this Midwestern community’s distinctive economic and social history. —Jonathan P. Hawley, author of Point Betsie: Lightkeeping and Lifesaving in Northeastern Lake Michigan and Guardians of the Manitou Passage: A Chronicle of Service to Lake Michigan Mariners, 1840-1915 Author Charles Kraus has put together an outstanding historic collection of the people and their lives using their words and historic photos of the history of Thompsonville in Benzie County. I particularly enjoyed reading about the adventures of the young man who would pay a nickel to ride the train from Thompsonville to Copemish. Thank you for keeping history alive for Thompsonville and Benzie County and its place in Michigan’s great history. —Tom Truscott, member of the Michigan Historical Commission
ASIN: 1954786441
VSKU: BVV.1954786441.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Kraus, Charles T.
Binding: Paperback