The Dixie Highway

The Dixie Highway. Mackinaw City Historical Pathway. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, two main roads, the East and West Pikes, brought tourists to Northern Michigan and specifically Mackinaw City. In 1915 the East Pike, US-27, became part of the Dixie Highway, a series of roads connecting Miami, Florida to Mackinaw City. The West Pike, US-31, connected to Chicago. Their merger was celebrated at the Dixie Monument, where the clock now stands., In 1909 an Indianapolis automobile dealer decided to promote America's infant automobile industry. In 1911, he financed the building of the town of Miami Beach, Florida with the dream of promoting a north-south highway system. That system became the Dixie Highway and connected Mackinaw City to Miami Beach. The Dixie Monument celebrating that completion was dedicated in 1916. It survived until 1954., The Dixie Monument, As part of his promotion, Carl Fisher convinced Mackinaw City, as the northern terminus of his road, to build a monument. The 20-foot tall Dixie Monument was composed of small stones, each of which was brought to the spot by a local farmer or villager. Every man, woman, and child within a radius of 10 miles is represented. It was designed and constructed by a local farmer.