Boyne Valley Trailway

This trail that you are on is now known as the Boyne Valley Trail. Boyne Valley was organized in 1873 and the big railway, Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad (GR&I) came through in 1874. The town was then renamed Boyne Falls. Logging was the main industry in the region and the driving force behind the railroad expansion. Other big industries followed the rails and soon a grist mill and a shingle mill opened in town. Boyne Falls had three hotels and a number of general stores, a hardware store, pharmacy, barber, telephone office, bank and a livery stable.

In 1893 the White family from Boyne City started the Boyne City, Gaylord and Alpena Railroad Company (BCG&A) to benefit their lumber interests on the shores of Lake Charlevoix. The BCG&A line connected with the GR&I near Boyne Falls. The line initially just went from Boyne City to Boyne Falls, but was extended to Gaylord in 1905, Atlanta in 1914 and Alpena in 1918. It changed hands numerous times and went broke before reaching Alpena. R.E. Olds of Oldsmobile funded the completion of the line. In 1935 most of the line was abandoned east of Boyne Falls. The short line between Boyne Falls and Boyne City stayed afloat and ran under different names until 1982.

In 2000, a small group of locals had a vision for preserving the original BCG&A railway as a recreational trail. Boyne Mountain was excited and wanted to be a part of the project. The first 10 years or so were difficult while acquiring easements and parcels of land. Since 2015 the trail has been growing westward, with the latest expansion toward Charlevoix in progress.

💡 Want to learn more about the trailway today or see a map? Boyne Valley Trail

📸 Attached Media:

-Boyne Valley Trailway Logo www.boynevalleytrailway.org/welcome.html

-"Boyne City Railroad" photo and text from the Boyne Country Summer-Fall Services and Activities Directory, 1970s

-"Boyne City Railroad" advertisement from the Boyne Country Summer-Fall Services and Activities Directory, 1970s

-"How Do You Enlist Public Support for Area RR Threat?" article from the Petoskey News Review on December 26, 1974

-"State's Smallest RR Going, Going, Gone!" article from the Petoskey News Review on May 14, 1976

-Auction Flyer from the Petoskey News Review on May 14, 1976

🔗Links in Text:

-Boyne Valley Trailway website www.boynevalleytrailway.org/welcome.html

🏃 Follow the path to the stop sign.

📚 Bibliography: ° ∞ ₹ •µ ♥