Plymouth museum adopts archives
of Pere Marquette Historical Society
The scattered archives of the Pere Marquette Historical Society have found a home in Plymouth.
An agreement to bring the archive which details the history of the Pere Marquette Railroad to the Plymouth Historical Museum was signed by officials of the two groups earlier this year..
“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 Pere Marquette History Society President Thomas J. Gaffney.
The Pere Marquette Historical Society was founded in 1995 as a means of collecting and disseminating information regarding the Pere Marquette Railroad. The society membership is made up of historians, former employees and their relatives, modelers, and railfans.
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 & Ohio and the Erie. Over the years, the Chesapeake & Ohio gained more and more control over the Pere Marquette Railroad, until on June 6, 1947, it was formally merged into the Chesapeake & Ohio.
“We are excited to welcome this wonderful addition to the Plymouth Historical Museum archive,” said Museum Executive Director Liz Kerstens.
“Plymouth was a hub for Pere Marquette Railroad 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.”
The Plymouth Historical Museum is located at 155 S. Main St. in Plymouth and is open from 1-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The archive is currently available by appointment only on Saturday and Sunday. The Pere Marquette archive will take time to process,
Kerstens said, and urged researchers to call (734) 455-8940 x3 to be sure it is available. For more information, visit http://plymouthhistory.org/our-history/collections-research/.
