JAGM 2019 Fall Drive

When:  Saturday, October 26, 2019, at 10 AM.

Where: Meet at the Durand Union Station, 200 S. Railroad, Durand, MI 48429 for a tour of the Durand Union Station, Michigan Railroad History Museum ($5/per person), and the model railroad exhibit. Following the tour, we plan to stop by the 2nd Chance Wood Company, which creates many interesting furniture pieces from reclaimed wood. Then we will drive back roads to The Whitehorse Inn, 1 East High St., Metamora, MI, for lunch. 

Hopefully, we will also see some fall color change! 

About The Durant Union Station - https://www.durandstation.org/

The Durant Union Station is located near I-69, I-75, and US-23. Access to the Depot is via Russell and Ann Arbor streets. The village of Vernon Center (now Durand) was built up around the railroads in the late 1850’s. After the rapid expansion of the railroad in the 1870’s, the village incorporated itself as Durand in 1887. Durand Union Station was built in 1903. Eighteen months afterward, it was almost completely destroyed by fire and then rebuilt in 1905. This was a very busy station as the Grand Trunk Western and Ann Arbor Railroads crossed at grade there. During the early 1900’s, when the railroad industry was at its peak, 42 passenger trains, 22 mail trains, and 78 freight trains passed through Durand daily. Durand Union Station handled approximately 3,000 passengers per day, making it a prospering hub of the industry. The depot is also the State Railroad History Museum. The museum gallery features new exhibits several times per year to pay tribute to the colorful heritage of the railroader, and to the contribution of Michigan’s railroads to lumbering, mining, agriculture, and industry. 

About The Whitehorse Inn - http://www.thewhitehorseinn.com/

The original building was established in 1848 by Daniel Ammerman as a general store in the small village of Metamora. Two years later, it was purchased by Lorenzo Hoard, who turned it into an inn and stagecoach stop known as the Hoard House. In 1872, the Michigan Central Railroad built its line through Metamora, and Hoard received the franchise to feed and house overnight passengers. By 1874, Metamora had 271 residents. The building served as a central stop for travelers on stagecoach and train, where they could get a hot meal and rest for an evening before continuing their journey. The inn was also equipped to stable horses that needed to rest as well. In 1906 it was sold to William Detter and Samuel Miller. Gilbert Olds bought the inn around 1917 and kept it until 1923 when Frank Peters took it over during the Prohibition Era. Peters was also responsible for the name change to The White Horse Inn. After years of wear and tear and neglect, The White Horse abruptly closed its doors in 2012, until the husband-and-wife team of Linda Egeland and Victor Dzenowagis purchased the 163-year-old building with plans to renovate and rebuild. Officially reopened in November 2014, The White Horse Inn has been completely restored and given a new life. Each area in the restaurant was carefully created and designed with the past in mind. The decor also brings in an equestrian theme, paying homage to the stagecoach and fox-hunting days of yesteryear.

Please register no later than October 23, 2019. On the day of the event, please have $5 per person, correct change please, available when you arrive at the Durand Union Station. They requested that one person collect and consolidate the fees to reduce the processing time.

Driving instructions to The Whitehorse Inn will be provided.

Organizer: Phil Crutchfield