The Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad (C&MLS) is a defunct railroad which operated in
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
between 1869 and 1878, and as the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad until 1881.
The C&MLS was chartered in 1869 and commenced construction of a line between New Buffalo and St. Joseph, which opened on February 1, 1870. The line was extended to Grand Junction on February 28, 1871, Montague on July 1, 1871, and Pentwater on January 1, 1872, for a running length of . The New Buffalo–
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former Provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
and Muskegon–Pentwater sections were owned directly by the C&MLS, and it had
running rights
Railway company, Railway companies can interact with and control others in many ways. These relationships can be complicated by bankruptcies.
Operating
Often, when a railroad first opens, it is only a short spur of a Main line (railway), main lin ...
Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...
Big Rapids
Big Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,601 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but it is politically independent. Big Rapids is home ...
(built by the Muskegon and Big Rapids Railroad), which opened on July 21, 1873.
Faced with falling revenues and a large debt load the C&MLS went into
receivership
In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in c ...
toward the end of 1876, and remained in that state until reorganized as the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad on December 28, 1878. The C&WM continued to operate the network until it was consolidated with other companies into the
Chicago and West Michigan Railway The Chicago and West Michigan Railway (C&WM) is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Michigan between 1881 and 1899.