User:Esobocinski/Osmer Michigan

Osmer, Michigan is a is located at 42°20'14"N, 83°44'08.5"W (decimal 42.3372,-83.7357). It is nothing more than a set of railroad sidings, built and named in the very early 1900s for an Ann Arbor Railroad manager. Osmer never has been more than that. Originally the sidings were a stop on of the Ann Arbor Railroad where trains would pause to wait for trains in the opposite direction to pass. Presumably one could board or disembark there also, since it was a stop, but there was never any platform or station there, or a town, or any building. The surrounding area is farmland to this day; there never was a community of Osmer.

Osmer is the railroad name for the interchange point between the Ann Arbor Railroad and the Great Lakes Central Railroad in Ann Arbor Charter Township, MI between Warren Road and Joy Road. It was named after John E. Osmer, who was superintendant of motive power for the Ann Arbor Railroad in 1916.There's literally nothing there except rail lines and farmland. The only folks who care about Osmer are regional railroad fans: After railroad bankruptcies of the 1970s and 1980s, the old Ann Arbor Railroad was reincorporated in two pieces that ended up under different ownership -- a new Ann Arbor RR to the south, the original company now operating as Great Lakes Central RR to the north -- and the two meet at Osmer. Die-hard railroad fans will travel to Osmer to watch the two railroads transfer cars between their lines.

In the 1880’s the Toledo and Ann Arbor Railroad Company (which would evolve into the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North-eastern Railroad Co, and eventually into the TAA&NM) originated in Toledo, extended north through Ann Arbor and terminated in South Lyon. Property was acquired and grades were established at various locations, with the city of Pontiac as the intended final destination. Stubborn property owners located between South Lyon and Wixom would not relinquish their property rights to the railroad. A decision was made and the TAA&NM RR was redirected north, towards Owosso and Lake Michigan. [1] This change of direction occurred in Northfield Township (near North Territorial and Earhart roads) with the establishment of Leland Station (named for the owner of the property). The new tracks made an almost 90 degree curve and headed northwest towards Whitmore Lake and Hamburg. The tracks between Leland and South Lyon remained for several years but they were rarely used. [2] The curvature of the ‘Leland Bend’ was so severe that trains could not safely travel over it unless they were going at a very slow speed. In 1894 or 1895 new tracks were laid at a location which is still known as Osmer (a few miles north of Ann Arbor).

Namesake
Osmer was named for John E. Osmer (1965-1925), who was superintendant of motive power for the Ann Arbor Railroad. John E. Osmer was also an innovator in locomotive technology who was issued twelve US Patents for his improvements.