Porter Hollow Embankment and Culvert facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Porter Hollow Embankment and Culvert
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	White Pine Trail at Stegman Creek, W of Summit Ave., Algoma Township, Michigan
Built	1885
NRHP reference No.	01001018
Added to NRHP	September 24, 2001

"The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad (GR&I) reached Algoma Township in 1867. A series of wooden trestles were built to cross Wicked Creek, later named Stegman Creek. In 1885, after repeated fires and floods, the GR&I hired James House to cut fieldstones from his farm and build this culvert to stabilize the trestle. Eventually, the GR&I abandoned the trestle and buried it intact within a wall of dirt above the culvert."

The Porter Hollow Embankment and Culvert is an old stone bridge and a raised pathway. It crosses over Stegman Creek in Algoma Township, Michigan. You can find it along the White Pine Trail, which is a popular path for walking and biking. It is also known as the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Culvert because it was built for trains a long time ago.

The Story of the Porter Hollow Culvert

The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad built its railway through Algoma Township in 1867. Porter Hollow was a small community located along this train route. It was about 3 miles north of Rockford.

At Porter Hollow, the railroad built a large wooden bridge, called a trestle, over Stegman Creek. Back then, the creek was known as Wicked Creek. In 1883, a big flood damaged this wooden trestle.

To fix the problem, the railroad hired a local farmer named James House. He collected field stones from his farm. These stones were used to build the strong stone bridge you see today. This new stone structure helped support the train tracks.

The railroad stopped using this line in 1985. In the 1990s, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources turned the old railroad path into a paved trail. This trail is now known as the White Pine Trail.

What the Culvert Looks Like Today

The stone bridge is very strong. It was used by trains for almost 100 years! Even today, it is in great condition.

This special bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site in the United States. It is also a key bridge along the popular White Pine Trail.

How the Culvert Was Built

The Porter Hollow embankment is a long dirt structure, about 1,400 feet long. Inside this dirt pathway is the stone arch culvert that goes over Stegman Creek.

The culvert is made from carefully cut fieldstones. It is about 19 feet wide and 75 feet long. The top of the arch is about 19 feet above the water in the creek below. The stonework rises 6 feet above the top of the arch. It also has stone walls, called wingwalls, at each end.

Today, the top of the culvert is paved with blacktop, as it is part of the White Pine Trail. One interesting thing about this culvert is that the bottom of the creek under the bridge is lined with wooden planks.