During the early 20th century, Michigan's Upper Peninsula was abuzz with industry. Iron mining, logging, and shipping were thriving, and railroads held the key to keeping it all moving. Tracks cut through dense woods and rocky terrain, linking remote mining towns and logging camps to ports and factories. One major rail line, the Munising and Marquette Railroad, was a key player in this rough country. It was subsequently absorbed into the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad, which became a major hauler of ore, timber, materials, and passengers.
This was the world that my great-uncle, Claude Glover, knew. He started working for the railroad in 1905 and was a locomotive engineer five years later. His thirty years of service with the Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad, parts of which used the outdated Munising and Marquette tracks, put him right in the middle of the Upper Peninsula railroading history while it was undergoing change and growth.
Stories like Claude's are not just names and dates. They give us a true idea of how our ancestors lived. Claude spent decades riding trains through some of Michigan's most remote areas. His job took skill, muscle, and a commitment to delivering the trains to their destinations no matter what. His work connected people and industries, as his story now connects us with our heritage.
Learning more about where Claude was employed and where he worked I come to more than just the sight of a name on my family tree. I glimpse at his life. The Munising and Marquette Line may have gone out of business, but the essence of Claude remains through stories like this one.
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