The Saginaw and Manistee Lumber Company and Williams Arizona

                                     SAGINAW SOUTHERN, BIG SPRING CANYON BRANCH LINE COPYRIGHT; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (5/10/22) Hidden within the forests are long-forgotten and overlooked evidence of the logging spurs. Many hours of hiking and research can slowly peel back the layers of time, revealing historically significant events. I will take a moment to express my appreciation to those who's research I have built upon. Without their efforts- Pat Stein, Vernon Glover, and one intrepid explorer who's name I know not- I would not be able to piece together the history of this line. Their maps formed the basis for my explorations.      South of Williams, Barney Flats is central to the railroad spurs fanning out into the woods. One such spur, the Big Spring Canyon Branch line, traversed flat lands and hills, followed the rocky bed of Big Spring Canyon, and ended west of Willow Spring.  All of the evidence indicates that this line was operated during the time period of the Sagi

  Garland Prairie Branch Line:  field research along the line (This Blog was originally written as a book, which was never published. The author decided to use this format as a means to provide the information to the public as quickly as possible. And, quite frankly, railroad related books  are  just  not as popular as they once were. In order to appreciate the Blog, it is recommended to read the first posting. This includes the introduction and credits to those whom I owe a great deal of gratitude. Hopefully, this Blog will help to quench your thirst for local history, and enhance your next planned vacation) The Saginaw and Manistee had large tracts of timber to the west, south and east of Garland Prairie. The company invested three years of planning and surveying prior to beginning of construction in 1924 (Stein, 37.) In comparison to the development of the Saginaw Southern Railroad, this was going to be the most thought-out and coordinated operation to date. The line reportedly co