Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad ledger
Scope and Contents
The collection is composed of a ledger from the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad. The ledger is dated June 1st, 1869.
The ledger consists of preliminary compass notes for the 33.5 mile railroad from Kalamazoo to South Haven. In the front of the book is the title and notes that say “Book 1 Part 1” and “First Preliminary Line.” On the second page is a key of symbols for landmarks such as blacksmiths, grist mills, churches, and more. Following the first two pages, the fronts of the pages have gridded lines with sketches of the terrain and key symbols and the backs of the pages have generic ruled lines with coordinates.
Pressed between two pages towards the back of the ledger is a pink bow.
Dates
- Creation: June 1, 1869
Creator
- Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad (Organization)
Biographical / Historical
The rail line operated in the late 19th century to early 20th century. It was constructed initially by the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad Company before later being leased to and merging with the Michigan Central Railroad. It became defunct in 1916.
The former line is now a rail trail known as the Kal-Haven Trail which is used for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and more.
Extent
.10 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased with funds from the Starring Endowments.
Physical Description
The collection amounts to .10 cubic feet and a single item from the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad. The item is a ledger measuring approximately 7” x 5”.
The cover is in fair condition. It is made of hard tan leather that is faded and peeling in some places with scuffs and scratches on the surface. The pages are in fair condition with some discoloration and staining around the edges and some pencil marks are faded.
Subject
- Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad -- History (Organization)
- Title
- Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad ledger finding aid
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sophia Cunningham; Stephanie Chapman
- Date
- 2021-11-09
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Western Michigan University Archives & Regional History Collections Repository
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490
arch-collect@wmich.edu