The Flint & Pere Marquette Railway Company, formed January 22, 1857, was one of the first companies in Michigan with track from East Saginaw to Mt. Morris. Originating traffic was lumber and salt. By 1874 the track extended from Monroe on Lake Erie to Ludington on Lake Michigan. Further expansion extended the system to Port Huron and Bay City and added numerous spur lines in the Saginaw Valley.

The line was built south to Toledo as well. In 1880, the company reorganized and changed its name from ‘Railway’ to ‘Railroad’; On January 1, 1900, the Flint & Pere Marquette, the Chicago & West Michigan and the Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western were consolidated into the Pere Marquette RR. Today the remains of this system are the CSXT Saginaw Subdivision.