Chicago and Canada Southern Railway
| Company type | Railway company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Canada Southern Railway |
| Founded | 1871 |
| Defunct | 1888 |
| Fate | Leased by Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway; reorganized as Detroit and Chicago Railroad |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois |
The Chicago and Canada Southern Railway was intended as a westward extension of the Canada Southern Railway stretching from Grosse Ile, Michigan to Chicago, Illinois. However, construction reached only as far as Fayette, Ohio, with the completed segments later divided between the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railway and the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway.
History
Established in 1868, the Canada Southern Railway set out to establish a direct connection from Niagara Falls to the Detroit River, traversing Southern Ontario and ultimately extending toward Chicago. The railway's line between Fort Erie, Ontario and Amherstburg, Ontario was finished in 1873, linking to Michigan’s rail network through ferry and bridge crossings at Grosse Ile.
To pursue expansion westward, the Canada Southern created the Chicago and Canada Southern Railway. Between 1871 and 1888, four distinct corporations operated under this name. The initial company was incorporated in Indiana on May 19, 1871, but it did not lay any track before merging with the Michigan Air Line Railroad in Illinois. This merged entity existed for only three days before joining with the North Western Ohio Railroad to form the third iteration of the Chicago and Canada Southern Railway. Subsequently, on October 25, 1871, it consolidated with the South Eastern Michigan Railway, resulting in the fourth Chicago and Canada Southern Railway.
Construction commenced in 1872; by July 4 of that year, rail service was active between the main line of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway (LS&MS) at "Grosvenor" (near Blissfield, Michigan) and Fayette, Ohio. By November 13, 1873, the track extended from Grosvenor to Grosse Ile. Despite hiring seasoned engineer John S. "Jack" Casement to oversee further development, progress was halted by the economic downturn caused by the Panic of 1873. The LS&MS leased this railway in November 1879 and reorganized it as the Detroit and Chicago Railroad in September 1888.
Over time, portions of this railway were abandoned: from Grosvenor to "Corbus" (located west of Deerfield, Michigan) in 1893; and from Corbus to Dundee, Michigan in 1897. The eastern segment was purchased by the Detroit and Lima Northern Railroad, except for a half-mile stretch near Slocum Junction which was discontinued. This section became part of what is now the main line of the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railway, currently operated as Canadian National Railway's Flat Rock Subdivision. The western section running from Grosvenor to Fayette functioned as the Morenci branch until its abandonment in 1991.
The incomplete route extending westward from Montpelier, Ohio toward northern Indiana was later adopted by the Wabash Railroad, which finalized its connection between Montpelier and Gary, Indiana in 1893.