Chronology of Vicksburg Railroad History
1847 – Present
North-South:
Grand Rapids & Indiana, Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central Railroad, Conrail
East-West:
Peninsular, Grand Trunk Railway, Grand Trunk Western, Canadian National Railway, CSX Corporation
A Chronology
1847 – The Grand Rapids & Indiana Railway received a land grant to build a north-south line through Vicksburg.
1870 – The last rail was spiked between Kalamazoo and Vicksburg, as work from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Vicksburg was completed. A frame depot was erected, which later burned and was replaced by today’s structure.
1872 – The Peninsular Railroad, later to become the Grand Trunk, put through an east-west line, making Vicksburg a two-railroad town.
1920 – Grand Trunk operations were taken over by the Canadian National Railway System.
1922 – The Pennsylvania Railroad purchased the G. R. & I.
1968 – The last Pennsy passenger train stopped in town, and the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with the New York Central to become the Penn Central.
1971 – The Last Grand Trunk Western passenger train stopped at the Depot.
1976 – The Penn Central merged into a new railroad known as Conrail.
1979 – Conrail discontinues service on tracks from Portage to Sturgis.
1998 – CSX Corporation acquires Conrail. Today, approximately 60 freight trains pass through Vicksburg during a 24-hour period.