Clarendon, MI: Lost/Michigan Central Depot and Extant Coaling Tower

Depot: (Satellite?)

Coaling Tower: (Satellite)

Durand Union Station-Michigan Railroad History Museum posted two photos with the comment:

Today’s featured depot is the Michigan Central station in Clarendon 🚂

Clarendon, located in Calhoun County, was first settled in the 1830s. It was originally named Cook’s Prairie before being renamed in 1840. 

Clarendon sat on the Michigan Central’s Air Line Branch and had a large concrete coaling facility. These coaling stations were typically assigned to mainline service, but for a period the Michigan Central used the Air Line between Jackson and Niles as its eastbound freight route, while westbound trains ran over the main line connecting those same cities.

The original depot no longer stands, but the coaling station still exists. It is on private property.

Durand Union Station-Michigan Railroad History Museum shared

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I got an aerial photo hoping to find the depot's location. I could not find it. And the coaling tower is not much more than a smudge. I included MI-60 across the top of this excerpt so that Gordon Road can be used to provide an east/west scale.

Aug 16, 1956 @ 60,000; ARA550360060499