This abandoned line originally started out in 1884 as the St. Louis, Sturgis and Battle Creek Railroad, before control was assumed by the Battle Creek & Sturgis Railroad in 1889. The BC&S itself was jointly owned by the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad (which operated between Sturgis and Findley), and the Michigan Central Railroad (operating the remainder of the line north from Findley to Battle Creek), both of which were subsidiaries of the New York Central Railroad.
The NYC filed for abandonment of the line in 1934.
See also the Goshen-Findley route, also abandoned.