Houghton County Traction Company Ahmeek Streetcar Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Houghton County Traction Company Ahmeek Streetcar Station
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | US 41/M-26 and Hubbell St., Ahmeek, Michigan |
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| Built | 1909 |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/Craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000221 |
| Added to NRHP | March 15, 2000 |
The Houghton County Traction Company Ahmeek Streetcar Station is a cool old building in Ahmeek, Michigan. You can find it at the corner of US 41/M-26 and Hubbell Street. This historic rail station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the year 2000. It's a great example of history in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
What Was the Houghton County Traction Company?
The Houghton County Traction Company started in 1900. It was a special type of railway called an "interurban line." This means it connected different towns, like a streetcar system that went between cities. It helped people travel easily across the Keweenaw Peninsula.
The very first part of the track went from Hancock to a nearby place called Boston. In 1901, the line grew longer, reaching Calumet. Over the next few years, more tracks were added. A side track, called a "spur," was built to Lake Linden and Hubbell. By 1908, the line stretched even further, just north of Mohawk.
The Houghton County Traction Company kept running until 1932. This was during a very tough time in history called the Great Depression. Many businesses struggled and closed during those years.
History of the Ahmeek Station Building
The Ahmeek Station was one of the first stops for the Houghton County Traction Company's trolleys. It served the town of Ahmeek and the areas around it. At first, the stop in Ahmeek was just a simple shelter.
However, in 1909, the Allouez Mining Company helped out. They let the Houghton County Traction Company use some land. This allowed the company to build a proper sub-station and a waiting area for passengers. The building was finished that same year. But it quickly became too small for everyone who used it.
So, in 1910, the Traction Company added a small extension to the building. This addition has since been removed. A big change happened in 1931. Highway 41 was made wider by the Michigan Department of Transportation. Because of this, the entire station building had to be moved. It was shifted about 40 feet west, to the other side of the railroad tracks.
After the railway stopped running, the station building was used for many different things. It became a bus stop for a while. It also served as a gas station. Since the 1950s, there has been a window where you can buy ice cream! In the summer of 2011, a local group called Keweenaw Natural Areas opened a visitor center inside. This center is in what used to be the waiting room. The current owners have also recently fixed up the whole building. This includes the apartment upstairs where the station's original operators used to live.
What Does the Station Look Like?
The Houghton County Traction Company Ahmeek Streetcar Station is a two-story building. It is made of wood and has a rectangular shape. The roof is "gabled," which means it has two sloping sides that meet at a ridge, like an upside-down 'V'. The outside walls are covered with "clapboard siding." These are long, thin wooden boards that overlap each other.
A smaller, one-story part of the building sticks out. It has two garage doors that face the highway. The front of the main building has two doors in the middle. There are also large windows at each end of the first floor. Above these, on the second floor, are four "double-hung windows." These windows have two sashes that can slide up and down. One of the first-floor windows has a special "walk-up" sliding window. It has a small roof over it, like a mini-awning. The back of the building used to be where the train platform was located.
Inside, the first floor has a large waiting room. Today, this room is used as a seating area for a restaurant. There is also a kitchen area at one end and restrooms. The main room has "headboard" paneling below a "chair rail." A chair rail is a strip of wood on the wall, usually at chair height. The ceiling is made of "tongue and groove headboard," which means wooden boards fit together tightly. The upstairs area was once the home of the stationmaster. It includes a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom.
