This cache is located near the former grade of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, at the former village and station site of Gooding. The cache is hidden on rural road right-of-way. There are residences nearby so, please be respectful and avoid night caching.
GTW Passenger/Freight Depot at Gooding, courtesy of RRHX
The one time village of Gooding began in 1887 when settlers moved north of Lisbon to start a new settlement. When the Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon Railroad laid track through Chester Township in 1888, running from Sparta to Slocum, it established a stop at Gooding. Businesses and homes sprang up near the depot. The railroad named the place, Gooding Station. A post office by the name of Gooding opened on Nov. 19, 1888 with Robert Gooding as postmaster. The town was split in half by the boarder between Ottawa and Kent Counties. The post office was originally on the Kent County side but, was later moved to Ottawa County.
Gooding and Lisbon, Sparta Township, 1894 Station area is shaded light green
Gooding and Lisbon, Chester Township, 1896 Gooding Business Section is shaded light green
In it's hey day, the village of Gooding boasted a blacksmith shop, boarding house, canning company, creamery, depot, grocery store, post office and a hardware & implement store.
Gooding Buisness Section Courtesy, Chester Township History & Genealogy
The town was primarily a farming community, thus, it survived the lumber industry collapse around the turn of the century. It survived well into the mid 20's but, with the rise in automobile popularity, passenger service along the rails dropped sharply. The railroad cut passenger service to Gooding, the post office closed, and the town fizzled up.
Gooding Creamery, Courtesy, Chester Township History & Genealogy
In 1887-89, a railroad line originally known as the Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon, was constructed between Ashley and Muskegon. Rails reached Carson City in September of 1887, Greenville in November of 1887, Cedar Springs and Muskegon by the end of the year. Construction continued in 1888 for ballasting, sidings and depots. On August 1st, 1888, a lease of the TS&M to the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada was completed. A mail and express train and a mixed train (freight with passenger service) was operated daily between Owosso (over the Ann Arbor Railroad to Ashley) and Muskegon. The line was known as the Turkey Trail because it meandered like a turkey and also because it allegedly never made money.
In 1928, GTC was merged with other Michigan Grand Trunk subsidiaries into the Grand Trunk Western, itself a subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway. In 1930, GTW secured trackage rights between Grand Rapids and Muskegon over the Pennsylvania Railroad (former Grand Rapids and Indiana) Muskegon Branch. Service on the Turkey Trail was reduced to way freights and mixed trains. In 1946, with heavy service operating over the PRR, the portion of the line between Greenville and Muskegon was abandoned.
Sources:
TS&M History
RRHX Home Page
Chester Township History and Genealogy
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