[1] In 1869, the Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway purchased the river frontage at this location and placed their operations at this site.

structures located here included a turntable, a grain elevator, an engine house, a freight warehouse, an icehouse, a depot, and a water tank.

The railway underwent a series of mergers, and was eventually obtained by the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, although the subsidiary retained an independent identity.

The structure includes a large coal storage section along with a small gabled unit above that at one time housed the hoist machinery.

[2] The first floor of the coal tipple is constructed from ten concrete piers that define three bays on the longer sides and two on the shorter.