| Going east from Pine creek the grade is pretty heavy. In June of 1992 I captured TSB No.394 coming up the grade towards Alger road. |
| In the summer of 2000, we are at M.P.29 two miles east of Perrinton. A west view of the new ties. |
| I was too late to capture this derailment on film. We are 1-3/4 mile west of Pompeii after the clean up. Spring was a bad time for derailments. Its April, 1993. |
| MAP OF POMPEII IN 1889 |
| When I looked at the photograph of the Pompeii depot, I just assumed that the name on the structure was mis'spelled or the second "i" was gone from age or weather. When I checked the history of the village I discovered that there was an "Old Pompeii" one and one half miles north of the present day Pompeii. Old Pompeii had been settled by Jo.B. Smith in 1854 and his log house was famous as a stopping place or "half-way" for many years for the people traveling over the state road north or south. Old Pompeii grew a tavern, blacksmith shop, store or two, school house and a church. When the Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon Railway was built, J.B. Willoughby, Joseph Foster and B.P. Bradley, owners of the land at the intersection of the railroad and the state road proceeded with out unnecessary delay to plat portions of their lands, and to offer inducements to settlers, and especially to the business people and others of Old Pompeii, to move their possessions and business to the new location. The railroad established a station there and the town grew. It was not long before the new town not only had the railroad and station but it had assumed the name and absorbed the business institutions of the old town, including the post office and churches. Many residence and business buildings were moved and others were torn down and re-constructed in the new location. Up until October, 1897 the spelling of the name of the new post office had been "Pompei." On that date, which was coincident with the appointment of J..W. Payne as postmaster, the spelling of the name was officially given another "i", to correspond with the original spelling of the name of the ancient city. From History of Gratiot County 1910. Pompeii in 1997 has no customers on the railroad. The siding that was into Jessup's elevator has been disconnected. There is still a passing siding and it is used by the railroad company to set out maintenance cars when working in the area. I have seen the railroad use this passing track for eastbound grain cars when the steep grade east of Perrinton has to be doubled. The depot was torn down in the early 1940's. ______________________ |
| Pompeii in 1925. A south view on State rd towards the railroad. The roof of Jessup Elevator can just be seen on the right. The southeast corner has a cafe. The northwest corner shows a Red Crown gas sign along with Indian Gas in the foreground. Note the placement of the RR sign in the road. Photo from a postcard. |
| April 28, 1898 the Gratiot Hearld had this report in the Pompeii column: "The depot is going to be moved east just over the road into Washington, and built larger, a much needed improvement." This is an east view of that depot from a post card. It was built just east of State rd. on the north side of the track. That stub switch on the right goes into Jessup's Elevator. Photo, Gordon Lydeksen collection. |
| George Jessup Elevator built by Jas Amstey in 1888. That is a Grand Trunk wooden box car on the right. Photo, Gordon Lydeksen collection. |
| Westbound TSB No.393 with some empty grain cars for Middleton. Pompeii's first depot stood on the left in this photograph. April, 1993. |
| May, 1993 I caught TSB No.392 coming thru the trees just east of State rd. at Pompeii. |
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| Depot Site After 1898 |
