This is Bob Myers from the Historical Society of Michigan with a Michigan history moment. 19th century Michiganders had a mania for railroads. Railroad construction began in the Wolverine state in the 1830s and continued at a fever pace for decades. The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad became one of the state's longest and most successful lines. The GRI formed as a company in 1854. Financial difficulties delayed construction, but in 1867 it opened service from Grand Rapids north to Cedar Springs, a distance of 20 miles. Two locomotives named Pioneer and Muskegon hauled passengers and freight between the two towns. From that modest beginning, the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad expanded rapidly. By 1869, the tracks ran from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Little Traverse Bay. It soon reached Cincinnati, Ohio, and in 1882 completed its line to Mackinaw City. Its 529 mile line made it one of America's longest north south routes. Branch lines connected it to Petoskey and Muskegon. By the late 1880s, the GRI boasted 66 locomotives and 3,100 cars with gross revenues of nearly $2.3 million. Originally, the GRI made most of its money from hauling lumber from northern Michigan. Much of it went to the Grand Rapids furniture factories. By the late 1880s, loggers had depleted the forests in northern Michigan. The GRI had to find another revenue stream. The Grand Rapids in Indiana began marketing itself as the Fishing Line. It published tourist guides to resorts and fishing sites in northern Michigan, all of them accessible, of course, via the GRNI railroad. People throughout the region could buy tickets and within a few hours reach beautiful northern Michigan. One of Michigan's most iconic buildings came about through the railroad. In 1886, the Grand Rapids in Indiana joined forces with the Michigan Central Railroad and the Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company to form the Mackinac Island Hotel Company. The Grand Hotel on Mackinac island opened in 1887. Automobiles finally led to the demise of the railroad's passenger service. The Pennsylvania Railroad bought the Grand Rapids in Indiana in 1918. Most of the rail line is no longer in use, but the roadbed has been converted to bicycling and hiking trails. This Michigan history moment has been brought to you by michiganhistorymagazine.org.