SAGINAW SOUTHERN: RECENT END-OF-THE-LINE FIELD RESEARCH; APRIL 2026

SAGINAW SOUTHERN: RECENT END-OF-THE-LINE FIELD RESEARCH, April 2026

I have traveled and hiked over a number of old grades, and forest roads that were once part of the Saginaw empire. Sometimes the only way to identify them are from old maps or features common to a railroad grade. Most of these grades have little or no artifacts, as these have disappeared over the past 120 years. 

After the railroad had abandoned the old grades, the Forest Service was more than happy to appropriate them for forest access. Often it was a simple matter of removing the bits and leftover pieces and tagging the new road with a number. This process included the main branch lines and spurs that threaded through the forest. 

The Davenport Tank area is no exception to the aforementioned principle. There is no doubt that the Saginaw Southern reached this location; it is a question as to where they went, and at what point did they end the line. This area is not exempt from the lack of physical evidence

I still had a desire to find the final end of the Saginaw Southern. Time had erased the usual indicators of the line, such as a defined roadbed or artifacts. In order to understand where it may have progressed, I had to rely more on the subjective, such as the location of Forest Service Roads and the assumption that at least some if not all were used by the railroad. 

I was able to explore FR354 Bear Springs Road, that leads to the Davenport Tank area, and FR57A, that diverges to the south (see map.) This appeared to be a plausible answer as to where the roadbed once existed. FR57A takes you to Bear Springs Tank and continues on in an easterly direction.

I must mention a word of caution: The forest roads in this area are extremely rough, and fraught with hazards. A 4x4 is a must and carry additional supplies in case you get stuck. I did not drive the entire way, having to walk down to the creek bed. Discretion was the better part of survival. Use your good sense; if you have to walk down a hill, you must come back the same way.

 From the intersection, I followed the road to the south, taking great care. It is extremely rough, however a high clearance 4x4 would have an easier time traveling this route. I drove as far as where the road begins to descend to the tank area. From that point, I hiked down the road (bring a backpack and extra water.) The descent was not that difficult, but the road does turn several times and there are several steep spots. 

A great deal of time and effort was put into building this road. Although steep, it could have been traversed by geared locomotives. For an old man, the descent was acceptable, and the return trip was challenging, but I made it. If I made it, so could a steam engine, shoving loaded log cars up the grade. 

The Forest Service invested time and effort into this area, as there were remnants of signposts and possibly camping areas. 

At one point, I stopped to check my location on the cellphone. I heard a distinct "Huumph!" to my right. Thankfully, it was just a cow making its self-known to me. It was one of several of the bovine species in the area. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings; I could have easily ended up as seal meat to a polar bear. Lesson learned; be aware of the forest denizens.

Location of FR354, and the intersection with FR57A.

FR57A to Bear Springs Tank

FR57A continues on, where it intersects with a spider web of forest roads.

  

The area is dotted with old stumps and left over logs, similar to the early methods used by the Saginaw. There are also stumps similar to harvesting at more contemporary times, using chainsaws. It is not unusual to see multiple harvests spanning several decades, in one area. 

Overland Road Trail

This Trail is marked by rock cairns, which follow the road for some distance. Trail parts from the road where the road begins to descend to Bear Springs Tank. 

  

Remains of a fence and gate, made of local material. This was possibly a very old stock pen. Ranching was a major industry in the area, with thousands of sheep or cattle being moved to and the high country.

The road descends to this open area, which is just above the creek.

     

  

The creek bed, and what appears on the map as the tank. The road crosses the stream, and continues to the east, as shown on the maps. 

The road, having reached the area of the tank, continues onward to the southeast. I decided to return to the car and left exploring the road for another day. The hike back was challenging, but an experienced hiker should be able to do so, taking care to rehydrate and take frequent stops. 

My impression was that this road could possibly be part of the Saginaw Southern. It is plausible that the Forest Service took over the old roadbed and made the area accessible to hunters and the like.

 

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    Later on, after returning to the comforts and modern conveniences of my home, I decided to do some exploring using my maps. This was a rewarding experience, as I began to look at the region in entirety, instead of being focused on one feature. I began to notice patterns 

May Tank is highlighted with the blue arrow. This is the area identified as the farthest reach of the Saginaw Southern.

    This region that spans from the south to the east of Bear Springs Tank, is dotted with numerous other tanks, such as Wild Horse and Last Tank, to name a few. All of them are interwoven with numbered forest roads, with others less important and rarely traveled. All of these features form a net that covers the area. 

   Having taken the time to ponder the map, I wondered if my original idea that there was a defined ending point to the Saginaw, was not aligning with the physical evidence. Could it be that the end of the line was not one defined feature, but an area laced with spurs that blanketed the area? To quote from one of my previous postings:

"With all hopes of expansion having been quashed, the operation reverted to the everyday mundane task of a logging railroad. It is also possible that people (including the newspapers) continued to refer to the old line by its former name, long after the legal identity had ended. The length of the line fluctuated, until in 1904 when the line was first reported abandoned (Glover; Stein, 31.) The rail bed reached no further south than section 29-T20N, R2E. This would be in the area of Deadman Wash and May Tank. (Stein 31.)" 

     Once the quest for a connection with Jerome was abandoned as a fruitless folly, they turned their attention to taming the newfound forests in this region. The farthest point south was exploited by web of grades, seeking to harvest the quality timber in the area. Once, this was accomplished, the grades were abandoned, and eventually the Forest Service exploited them for roads. The tanks that once filled thirsty steam engines were now expanded, allowing for the vast herds of sheep and cattle to migrate in greater abundance to the high country. 

*****

One further thought to ponder; why was the Saginaw Southern as a class I railroad created?

Over the years, I leaned towards the belief that the line was created to get to Jerome and exploit the line as a new north-south line. Certainly, the Saginaw would benefit from a direct connection to the mines in Jerome, and Jerome would have access to regional timbers for their underground diggings.

Having been involved in researching the railroad and the lumber companies, I am contemplating a new theory: the Saginaw Southern's main purpose was to exploit the vast timber reserves as quickly as possible. Opposition for a lumber railroad being built south of Williams was evident, with one particular homesteader refusing to sell. 

With the creation of the Saginaw Southern as a legal entity came a number of benefits, such as the ability to exercise imminent domain. With that authority, they could claim private land, and petition Congress to cross federally controlled landholdings. In order to create the railroad, there must be a beginning and an end point- thus Jerome. Old maps do confirm that this was a valid proposal, although the true purpose was vailed in secrecy.

 This theory has credibility, in that the helter-skelter, poorly surveyed route would later be criticized as the most inconceivable one could imagine. Added to that, is the purported end of the line just happened to terminate at the edge of the pine forests ("coincidences happen with great forethought and planning;" the author.)

The owners must have feigned frustration once it became obvious that they would not reach Jerome, however they must have toasted each other in reaching the true objective, the vast timber holdings of prime Ponderosa Pine forests.