Walton, Michigan


Walton is an unincorporated community in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is located mainly in Fife Lake Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan, although it is partially located in Liberty Township, Wexford County, Michigan. US 131 and M-113 run through the town.

Railroads

Walton is sometimes known as the origin of Grand Traverse County. This is because it is where the first railroads to Traverse City started from, at a junction point on the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad and Manistee and North-Eastern Railroad, later to become the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. These railways were destroyed in later years. The Traverse City Railroad was constructed in 1872, and the town of Walton was born. Today, these railroads are still in service, and a passenger railroad has become of greater interest. The railroad yard of Walton Junction is mentioned in Ernest Hemingway’s short story, “The Battler.”

Geography

Walton is a community situated right in the Traverse City State Forest. It is on the line between Grand Traverse County and Wexford County. The town also sits on Walton Marsh.

Nearby communities

The closest communities to Walton are Fife Lake at 4.5 mi northeast, Manton at 7.5 mi south, Kingsley at 8.1 mi northwest. The town itself is about halfway between Traverse City and Cadillac.

Major highways

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