Michigan United Traction Co.

Many cities had streetcar lines and the Interurban, which was a heavier-duty type streetcar, was used to connect these cities. When the Interurban reached the city, it used the streetcar rail line. By 1930, the Interurban and the Streetcar faded into history, as the bus lines and the automobile took over.

Car #28 was rescued from demise, when it was found at Duck Lake, north of Albion, Michigan where it was being used as a cottage for many years. It has been restored and is on display at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Ill.

Year Built: 1914

Seats: 56

Length: 61ft 9in

Width: 8ft 10in

Height: 12ft 11in

Weight: 106000 lbs

Brakes: AMM

Motors: 4 WH 557 (A5)
Original motors were WH 333-B2

Control: WH HLF

Compressor: WH D3-EG
Original compressor was a D3-LA

Trucks: Shop
Original trucks were Baldwin

Description: Single End / Double Truck / Arch Roof / Steel Combine

Because the interurban was electric, it ran very quietly, thus over the years many fatal and serious accidents occurred. Not only to city folk, but farmers livestock were not immune to the interurban either.

Circa 1921

Here are some clippings taken from the Owosso Argus Press.

April 1913

Milking by electricity through vacuum pressure is the modern method employed by Clayton Thomas, whose home farm is situated south of Owosso. Thomas is probably the only farmer between Owosso and Jackson who draws power from the M.U.T. to light has farm dwelling and barns, run his milking machines, washing machines and heat the electric flat iron in the house.

July 10,1913

Corunna---Mandamus proceedings were filed in the circuit court Saturday by City Attorney A.E.Richards, asking the court to compel the M.U.T. and the M.U.R. to place their tracks in good condition and to run the old terminal, the Ann Arbor depot, besides living up to other provisions, which are set forth in the franchise which was given them by the city in the fall of 1895.

July 18, 1913

Corunna---Corunna was host Sunday at a surprise party perpetrated by the M.U.T., which even an effervescent society reporter could hardly term a delightful affair, since it cost city it's street railway service and the sinews therfor. Neither can it be said that the spirit of the affair was cordial. In fact, it was the culmination of warfare between the city and the railway corporation, in which the municipality has been the aggressor for several years.

Consternation was caused at the county seat when Corunna stuck it's head out the window Sunday morning on arising to note that over 100 laborers had invaded the county seat during the night and were well advanced with a work of Sunday desecration, which took the form of dismantling the dilapidated and much execrated street railway construction...

Last night at 7 o'clock, hardly a vestige of that part of the system lying in Corunna remained.

Nov.14, 1913

Corunna---The new electric line into this city is practically finished. Yesterday, a large gang of laborers cut the car onto the new track in Caledonia Township and the trip from Owosso to Corunna can now be made over an entirely new road which even at present is in better condition than the old track between the cities.

It will be some time before the roadbed can be made as smooth as disired, but there is such a difference between the ride over the new road and the old one that Corunna people have quite forgiven the M.U.T. for tearing up the old track on a Sunday early last summer.

Dec. 1913

Corunna---The construction work on the new Owosso & Corunna electric road will be completed Saturday afternoon. The construction gang is at work today taking down the trolley poles used for the old line and also placing tile along the track in Caledonia Township. The highway on both sides of the track between the cities has been graded.

The privilege of Free Riding in Owosso on M.U.T. cards, enjoyed by the Owosso Police for years, has been withdrawn. Saturday policemen who rode on the cars in the city had to pay their fares.

Corunna---A new name has been given the U-Boat No.701 which the Michigan Railways Company sees fit to keep in operation on it's Owosso-Corunna line. The car has been rechristened "Theodore Roosevelt" because it is such a rough rider.

Jan 1928

The abandonment of the interurban line between Owosso and Lansing and its replacement with bus service is imminent in the opinion of the members of the Michigan Public Utilities Commission who yesterday set March 9 as the date of the hearing on the application of Wayne E. Taylor of this city for permission to operate bus service between the two cities.