July 15, 2026

Detroit Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor Interurban car on the bridge over the Michigan Central Railroad just east of Michigan Center (near Jackson)

A Black-And-White Photo Shows An Interurban Railcar On A Steel Truss Bridge Crossing Above Another Set Of Railroad Tracks, With Utility Poles And Trees In The Background.

An interurban car rolls across a steel truss bridge above the Michigan Central Railroad tracks just east of Michigan Center, near Jackson.

This was part of the Detroit-to-Ann Arbor-to-Jackson electric railway corridor — a time when you could ride from Detroit west through stops such as Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Grass Lake and Michigan Center, then into Jackson. Later, this route was operated under the Detroit United Railway umbrella, and interurban service on the Detroit–Jackson line ended in 1929.

A bridge inventory lists this crossing as a Pratt through-truss built in 1896 and removed around the time the interurban was abandoned.

What’s the closest your family ever lived to an interurban line — and do you remember hearing any stories about it?

#MichiganCenter #JacksonCounty #Interurban #MichiganHistory #RailHistory

Avatar Of Michaela Nolte

Michaela Nolte

Michaela is a history buff and loves to export historical markers and old buildings and seeks stories about Michigan and Great Lakes history. When she is not writing, you can find her with a good book sipping wine on the beach.

View all posts by Michaela Nolte →