On 10th Street at Templeton Street, on the right when traveling north on 10th Street.
On the 8th day of January, 1836, Mumford Eldred along with his second wife, Jane, and five children, settled on 40 acres in section 29 of Martin Township. The land included a 30 acre clearing on which the northern edge lived a small band of . . . — — Map (db m74657) HM
On Culver Street at Griffith Street, on the right when traveling west on Culver Street.
Roger E. Reed, whose father was a blacksmith and carriage maker, built this structure in 1905. The front of the building housed an office and carriages, while the back was a stable of 25 stalls. Here travelers boarded stages bound for Holland, Grand . . . — — Map (db m45238) HM
On Old Allegan Road, 0.1 miles west of New Richmond Road, on the right when traveling east.
When Allegan county was organized in 1835, the only road from the interior to Lake Michigan followed an Indian Trail along the Kalamazoo River. In 1838 Ralph Mann of Connecticut was supervising improvements at the short-lived town of Richmond. He . . . — — Map (db m73603) HM
On North Church Street, on the left when traveling north.
This block of brick paving
is the only extant portion
of Hastings' first major
street improvement project
completed in 1907 as the
result of the initiative of
Dr. George W. Lowery, elected
mayor in 1906. The fine
condition of this . . . — — Map (db m216361) HM
On Center Avenue (Michigan Route 25) at Livingston Street, on the right when traveling west on Center Avenue.
Center Avenue presents one of the most spectacular displays of late nineteenth and early twentieth century residential architecture in Michigan. Between 1870 and 1940 Bay City´s prominent citizens favored Center Avenue as "the" place to live. Early . . . — — Map (db m161001) HM
Near Adams Road, 0.3 miles north of State Line Road, on the left when traveling north.
Known as Parc aux Vaches, or “cow pasture,” this area was named by the French for the wild buffalo that once grazed here. Two major Indian trails crossed here: the Sauk Trail, also called the old Chicago Trail, which linked Detroit and . . . — — Map (db m64552) HM
During the presidency (1953–1961) of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, the National System of Interstate and Defense highways was finalized and signed into law. Gaining support for the Interstate Highway System . . . — — Map (db m1668) HM
The nation’s first Highway Travel Information center opened on May 4, 1935, on US-12 at New Buffalo, not far from here. Other states followed Michigan’s lead, and by 1985 there were 251 travel information centers across the nation. The New Buffalo . . . — — Map (db m1593) HM
On North Whittaker Street, 0.2 miles north of East Water Street, on the left when traveling north.
(side 1)
At the turn of the twentieth century, deep ruts and sand made West Michigan roads nearly impassable. In 1911 the West Michigan Lakeshore Highway Association was founded to promote the construction of the first improved highway . . . — — Map (db m60839) HM
John and Horace Dodge.
Auto barons John (1864–1920) and Horace (1868–1920) Dodge were born and raised in Niles. During the 1830s, their grandfather, Ezekiel, had migrated from Massachusetts to Niles, where he ran a steam engine . . . — — Map (db m1707) HM
On West Chicago Road (U.S. 12) 0.4 miles east of Prairie River Road, on the right when traveling west.
One of the great routes for the pioneers coming west was the Chicago Road. The survey of the road began at Detroit in 1825 and followed closely the Sauk Trail which Indians had marked and traveled for centuries before the coming of the white man. . . . — — Map (db m64549) HM
On West Chicago Street (U.S. 12) at Willow Lane, on the right when traveling west on West Chicago Street.
To Commemorate
the memory of
The Pioneers
and
First Surveyors
who by perilous efforts
over the Indian trail
made possible
the magnificent highway
M-23
Marked by
The Coldwater Chapter
Daughters of American . . . — — Map (db m241051) HM
George Ackerman, as a UCHS student, noted this spot on the river as a possible location for a dam. He went on to become a civil engineer. Around 1919, rising coal costs forced the village to turn toward hydro and they sought out . . . — — Map (db m95654) HM
On Coldwater St., on the left when traveling east.
There was a trestle here for a narrow gauge railway from Turtle Lake, 2 miles to the north, to the cement factory in the SE corner of town for transporting marl. The railway crossed both the St. Joe and Coldwater Rivers. Peerless Portland Cement . . . — — Map (db m95167) HM
On South Kendall Street at Grand Trunk Avenue, on the right when traveling north on South Kendall Street.
This firehouse, which opened on July 2, 1904, was the last one in the city to use horse-drawn equipment. Hubert C. Scofield, architect of Fire Station No. 3, designed the Richardsonian Romanesque building, built at a cost of $8,099. In 1917 the . . . — — Map (db m177261) HM
On Michigan Avenue, on the right when traveling east.
This site on Territorial Road was a gift of Seeley Neal (1778-1862) from 640 acres acquired from the government in 1831. Neal, a veteran of the War of 1812, built the first log house in the township. His was the first family to locate in the . . . — — Map (db m226150) HM
On Michigan Avenue at North Kalamazoo Avenue, on the left when traveling west on Michigan Avenue.
This Potawatomi Indian Trail later became the Territorial Road until called State Street in the 1833 Plat of the Upper Village of Marshall. Per inducement by the Legislature in 1923, it was renamed Michigan Avenue. The street also served as U.S. 12 . . . — — Map (db m177326) HM
On East Michigan Avenue, on the right when traveling east.
This Potawatomi Indian Trail later became the Territorial Road until called State Street in the 1833 Plat of the Upper Village of Marshall. Per inducement by the Legislature in 1923, it was renamed Michigan Avenue. The street also served as U.S. 12 . . . — — Map (db m216538) HM
On West Mansion Street at North Eagle Street, on the left when traveling west on West Mansion Street.
Samuel W. Hill, legendary figure of the northland, surveyed the Great Lakes’ harbors in 1840-44 and worked with Dr. Douglass Houghton on the first geological survey of the Upper Peninsula in 1845. He was later involved with the sale of land and the . . . — — Map (db m177245) HM
On Bridge Street (U.S. 31) at Bridge Park Drive, on the left when traveling south on Bridge Street.
Fishing and Lumbering - Round Lake, North ShoreTug Loaded with Lake Trout
ca. 1900
When Charlevoix was permanently settled in 1854, Lake Michigan teemed with millions of tons of fish, called "finny . . . — — Map (db m215844) HM
On South Huron Avenue north of Wendell Street, on the right when traveling north.
Mackinaw City is the northernmost point on the lower peninsula and all the main auto routes through Northern Michigan terminated here. These roads were the East Pike, the West Pike and the Dixie Highway. The automobile eventually replaced train . . . — — Map (db m138187) HM
The Mackinac Bridge is constructed of three segments – at each end is a post-supported truss bridge and in the center is a suspension bridge segment.
This bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world for decades after its . . . — — Map (db m107135) HM
On North Huron Avenue, on the right when traveling east.
Railroad construction across America boomed in the second half of the 1800s, spurred on by technological improvements and demand for distant products. Getting rail cars across the Straits required special boats.
Railroads were completed on . . . — — Map (db m105945) HM
On North Huron Avenue, on the right when traveling east on North Huron Avenue.
Side 1
In 1634 Samuel de Champlain sent Jean Nicolet from Quebec to explore this area and make peace with the Ottawa and Ojibwa Indians. French traders were in the area in 1673, but they left when conflict with the Indians ensued. The . . . — — Map (db m105887) HM
Near South Huron Avenue north of Wendell Street, on the right when traveling north.
Michigan State Ferry System (side 1)
In 1923, in response to increasing automobile traffic, the Michigan Highway Department established the Michigan State Ferry System to connect the Upper and Lower Peninsulas by transporting travelers . . . — — Map (db m131696) HM
On South Huron Avenue at Mackinaw Crossing Drive, on the right when traveling north on South Huron Avenue.
The construction of railroads into Northern Michigan closely followed the lumbering industry. In 1881, the Michigan Central completed its line into Mackinaw, and the Mackinac and Marquette reached St. Ignace in the same year. To complete the . . . — — Map (db m138432) HM
On East Central Avenue at Langlade Street, on the right when traveling west on East Central Avenue.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, two main roads brought tourists to Northern Michigan.
These roads were the East and West Pikes and they converged in Mackinaw City.
In 1915 the East Pike became part of the Dixie Highway, a series of . . . — — Map (db m125535) HM
On East Central Avenue at Langlade Street, on the right when traveling west on East Central Avenue.
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 . . . — — Map (db m213907) HM
On East Main Street (County Route 58) at Ballard Street on East Main Street.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment welcomes you to the 62-mile Gaylord to Mackinaw City Railway. The multipurpose recreational trail, which is 10 feet wide, has been upgraded to a surface of crushed limestone to provide a . . . — — Map (db m213612) HM
On 911 West Main Street near Westbrook Drive, on the right when traveling east.
riginally an Indian Path, this
road connected DeWitt with
the Capitol at Detroit and
Grand Haven on Lake Michigan.
It was opened as a military road
by the government in the late
1830's and at that time provided
settlers with the only access . . . — — Map (db m239677) HM
On North Main Street north of Williams Street, on the right when traveling north.
In 1996, the Ovid Historical Society with the financial aid of the Downtown Development Association purchased a carriage that had been manufactured at the Ovid Carriage Works, later known as the Scofield Buggy Company in Ovid. The members of the . . . — — Map (db m119805) HM
On Lewis Street at Rose Street, on the left when traveling south on Lewis Street.
This boulder marks
the Old Indian Trail from
Mackinaw City to Grand Rapids
used from time immemorial by
the Huron, Ottawa, Chippewa and
other tribes — — Map (db m97876) HM
On Mill Street at South Leroy Streeet, on the left when traveling west on Mill Street.
Initially producing wood products, Mr. Phillips invented the sliding window screen. The demand prompted a huge factory complex covering 12 acres.
1913-The factory was sold to Henry C. Koppin to hand assemble the "Fenton Cyclecar". — — Map (db m94737) HM
He knew what worked.
Billy Durant had the experience of the carriage industry and his success with the Buick Motor Company. In 1908, he set out to form General Motors by acquiring Oldsmobile, based in Lansing, and on September 16, 1908 the . . . — — Map (db m182332) HM
On Saginaw Street at East Kearsley Street, on the right when traveling north on Saginaw Street.
The Frenchman first came to the United States in 1904 as an international champion bicycle racer, and became involved with automobiles. In Boston in 1905, Albert Champion partnered with early Buick dealer Frank Stranahan in founding the Albert . . . — — Map (db m180208) HM
On Saginaw Street at East Kearsley Street, on the right when traveling north on Saginaw Street.
They were there at the beginning, applying their skills and ideas to Flint's early automotive industry in times of breathtaking change and risk. Because of
people like William "Billy” Durant, David Buick, and Louis Chevrolet, Flint became . . . — — Map (db m180216) HM
On North Chevrolet Avenue near Hasselbring Street, on the left when traveling north.
General Motors wanted quality
When GM acquired complete ownership of Fisher Body Corporation in 1926, the company already had the largest and best-equipped body-building plants in the world. To replace bodies shipped up from Detroit, Fisher . . . — — Map (db m180543) HM
On Lyon Street at West Water Street, on the right when traveling north on Lyon Street.
It was a time of great risk and adaptation. As the region's forests were exhausted in the late 1800s, the Flint-based lumber firm of Begole, Fox and Company reinvented itself as the Flint Wagon Works. In 1903 the company decided to enter the . . . — — Map (db m180138) HM
On James P Cole Boulevard near East Hamilton Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
Booming factories created jobs and opportunities.
The world came to Flint in search of work, and people from many nationalities and ethnicities found employment here. Within the United States, a great migration of African Americans and whites . . . — — Map (db m181148) HM
On West Water Street at Lyon Street, on the right when traveling east on West Water Street.
The history of Carriage Town spans the centuries from its simple beginnings as a river crossing for American Indians, to fur trading, lumbering, and eventually an industrial manufacturing center for carriages and automobiles. Here history also spans . . . — — Map (db m179967) HM
On North Chevrolet Avenue at Bluff Street, on the left on North Chevrolet Avenue.
He advocated hands-on education through his life. Combining electrical engineering education with rich work experience, in 1909 Charles Kettering co-founded DELCO where he invented the automotive electric starter and lighting system that . . . — — Map (db m181029) HM
On Saginaw Street near East Kearsley Street, on the right when traveling east.
In 1905, Charles Stewart Mott moved his Weston-Mott Company from upstate New York to Flint to make automobile axles for Billy Durant's new Buick Motor Company. By 1913, Weston-Mott was purchased by General Motors. For another 60 years, until . . . — — Map (db m180035) HM
On Saginaw Street at East Kearsley Street, on the right when traveling east on Saginaw Street.
C.S. Mott, Flint's leading philanthropist, moved his axle firm here from Utica, N.Y., in 1906. He was encouraged by Buick's W.C. Durant, who created General Motors in 1908. Mott became a GM Vice President, served as chief of its advisory board and . . . — — Map (db m180036) HM
On Mason Street, 0.1 miles north of West Water Street, on the left when traveling north.
This Queen Anne style house, built circa 1890, was owned by automotive pioneer Charles W. Nash (1864-1948). Born in Illinois, Nash worked on area farms before forming a successful hay-processing firm, “Adams and Nash,” in 1882. He was hired by the . . . — — Map (db m179966) HM
On North Chevrolet Avenue near Hasselbring Street, on the left.
This area gained the name "Chevy-in-the-hole" because it was located in the valley
along the Flint River west of downtown. To the east, across Chevrolet Avenue, you can see the site of this development.
Billy Durant had grand ambitions for . . . — — Map (db m180541) HM
On Saginaw Street near East Kearsley Street, on the right when traveling north.
He was unknown to most people when he died in Detroit. Born in Scotland in 1854, in early adulthood he achieved success in Detroit with patents for plumbing fixtures. But he was drawn to gasoline engines, and by 1902 he had invented the . . . — — Map (db m180139) HM
On Saginaw Street at East Kearsley Street, on the right when traveling east on Saginaw Street.
Scottish-born David Buick, Detroit plumbing executive turned engine builder, came to Flint when his Buick Motor Company was sold in 1903 to Flint Wagon Works leaders. In 1904, David's company built 37 Buick cars, equipped with soon-famous . . . — — Map (db m180140) HM
On Lyon Street near West Water Street, on the right when traveling north.
They were a remarkable partnership.
William Crapo Durant and Josiah Dallas Dort transformed
the small Flint Road Cart Company into the giant
Durant-Dort Carriage Company. The company's vast
production helped make Flint one of the world's . . . — — Map (db m182342) HM
On East Kearsley Street west of Crapo Street, on the left when traveling east.
Could it be done here?
Hardy was vacationing in Europe when he noticed the advancements being made there in automobiles. Hardy realized the auto's potential in America, but was unable to convince Flint's carriage makers to turn to . . . — — Map (db m143768) HM
On North Chevrolet Avenue near Hasselbring Street, on the left when traveling north.
Flint Industry From 1910 through the 1980s, automobile and parts manufacturing dominated Flint industry. Like the saw and flour mills that preceded them, the factories were centered west of downtown in the Flint River valley. Industry began . . . — — Map (db m180537) HM
On West Water Street at Lyon Street, on the right when traveling east on West Water Street.
Flint Road Cart Factory This one-story mill was built in the early 1880s as part of an unsuccessful effort to diversify the Flint Woolen Mills. In 1886 J. Dallas Dort and Billy Durant began leasing it to manufacture road carts. By the end of . . . — — Map (db m182343) HM
This large estate and farm required a staff to maintain it. The Motts employed many people over the years. Some lived on the estate with their families in this gatehouse and elsewhere on the property.
The Farmer Lived Here
This . . . — — Map (db m142557) HM
On East Kearsley Street at Chavez Drive, on the right when traveling east on East Kearsley Street.
Kearsley Street was home to many automotive leaders
through the early decades of the 20th Century. The street was lined with their large Victorian homes, like Whaley House you see here. Dallas Dort and Charles Mott built large country . . . — — Map (db m143842) HM
On East Kearsley Street east of Crapo Street, on the left when traveling east.
Josiah Dallas Dort took care of much more than business.
Dort was a founding partner of the Durant-Dort Carriage Company and later a president of Dort Motor Car Company. But he was also actively involved in the Flint Institute of Music, the . . . — — Map (db m180447) HM
On Saginaw Street at East Kearsley Street, on the right when traveling north on Saginaw Street.
From bicycles to automobiles, his life was defined by speed. Born in 1878, Louis Chevrolet grew up in Switzerland and France and raced and repaired bicycles before following a fascination with automobiles to America in 1900. His success in auto . . . — — Map (db m180212) HM
On West Water Street at Mason Street, on the left when traveling east on West Water Street.
Many automotive pioneers and leaders were nurtured in Flint's industry. Six General Motors presidents got their start in Flint, and two of them went on to form their own auto companies.
Charles Nash rose from a dollar-a-day job stuffing . . . — — Map (db m179965) HM
Many companies became memories.
Between 1900 and 1920, in the automobile industry’s early years, car companies sprang like weeds all over the country. Many of these companies quickly failed, while others were folded into larger manufacturers. . . . — — Map (db m181454) HM
On Saginaw Street at East 5th Street, on the right when traveling north on Saginaw Street.
Flint, platted in 1836, became known as the “Vehicle City.” The production of road carts reached 150,000 annually. Due to the foresight of its vehicle manufacturers Flint has become second only to the Detroit area in production of motor vehicles. A. . . . — — Map (db m178355) HM
On Saginaw Street near East Kearsley Street, on the right when traveling north.
They made a statement in lights and steel. In 1899, gas lamps in downtown Flint were replaced with electric lights mounted on five steel arches spanning Saginaw Street. In 1905 two more arches were added, including one with the letter "FLINT - . . . — — Map (db m179971) HM
On Lyon Street near West Water Street, on the right when traveling north.
Flint's Carriage King and
the creator of General Motors
Dedicated December 8, 1988
Derek Wernher, Sculptor
Matthew S. Collier
Mayor, City of Flint — — Map (db m182344) HM
On Saginaw Street at East Kearsley Street, on the right when traveling north on Saginaw Street.
"Flint is in the center of the automobile industry, a progressive city, good people, with conditions for manufacturing, ideal," wrote William Crapo Durant in 1905, inviting Utica, New York axle-maker Charles Stewart Mott to move here. Durant . . . — — Map (db m182345) HM
On Saginaw Street at East Kearsley Street, on the right when traveling north on Saginaw Street.
William "Billy" Durant led Flint's incredible industrial development 18902 - 1920s. Durant co-founded the successful Durant-Dort Carriage Company, then in 1904 took control of David Buick's fledgling automobile firm. Durant built on Buick's success . . . — — Map (db m182340) HM
On West Water Street at Mason Street, on the left when traveling east on West Water Street.
William C. Durant William Crapo Durant (1861-1947), one of Flint’s most important historical figures, was a pioneer in the development of the American auto industry. Durant’s vehicle ventures began in 1886, when, with a borrowed $1,500, he . . . — — Map (db m182338) HM
Near North Bray Road, 0.3 miles north of East Coldwater Road.
William C. Durant, better known as Billy Durant, built this quaint barn behind his home on Garland Street in Flint's Carriage Town area. The barn most likely was constructed between 1890 and 1900 and was a typical outbuilding of the period.
. . . — — Map (db m226305) HM
Near North Bray Road, 0.3 miles north of East Coldwater Road.
Before automobiles were common on American roads, they were found in barns and workshops of tinkerers who explored their mechanics. Judge Charles H. Wisner and Dr. Hiram H. Bardwell, two of Flint's gentleman tinkerers, worked on . . . — — Map (db m224683) HM
Near North Bray Road, 0.3 miles north of East Coldwater Road.
Judge Charles H. Wisner, a prominent Flint citizen and tinkerer, built this Italianate carriage barn in 1878 to house a few horses and carriages at his residence on the corner of East Court and Lapeer Streets in Flint.
Wisner, the son of Moses . . . — — Map (db m225262) HM
On Saginaw Road, on the right when traveling north.
Projected for the transportation of troops and munitions of war between the forts at Detroit and Mackinac in the Territory of Michigan. Also for an inducement to settlers.
The road from Detroit to "Saginaw River and Bay" was authorized by . . . — — Map (db m242365) HM
On East Saginaw Street (State Highway 46), on the left when traveling east.
Saginaw and Gratiot County State Road
In 1867 goods for Gratiot and Isabella Counties were shipped from Detroit to St. Johns, then hauled by teams of horses to outlying settlements. In an effort to lessen the exhorbitant . . . — — Map (db m106669) HM
On U.S. 12, 2 miles east of State Highway 99, on the left when traveling east.
Priest
Educator-Statesman
Secured funds in 1825 through the United States Congress for the survey of the Great Sauk Trail
now U.S. Highway 112 thus opening this artery of civilization into the west — — Map (db m32219) HM
On West Street at South Street, on the right when traveling north on West Street.
J.J. Deal And Son Carriage Factory:
Around 1865 blacksmith Jacob J. Deal began to build and repair carriages, wagons, sleighs and carts in Jonesville. He had a manufacturing complex on this site by 1884. Jacob’s son, George, became a partner . . . — — Map (db m220293) HM
On East Huron Avenue (Michigan Route 142) at South Heisterman Street, on the right when traveling east on East Huron Avenue.
While surveying the first state road through the Huron County wilderness in 1861, Rudolph Papst and George Willis Pack made camp here and found a much-used and badly damaged axe. At Pack's suggestion, Papst used the name "Bad Axe Camp” in the . . . — — Map (db m211161) HM
Near South Unionville Road (State Highway 25) 0.6 miles south of Pigeon Road (State Highway 142), on the right when traveling north.
Brown
Roadside Park
Honoring
Henry A. Hamp
As chief of right-of-way acquisition for state highways during the last 19 years of his 30-year Department career (1951-1981), Mr. Hamp supervised the acquisition of some 43,000 land . . . — — Map (db m180748) HM
On Cedar Street east of 2nd Street, on the left when traveling east.
Stagecoaches played an important part in developing the Midwest. Michigan’s frontier “fever” peaked in the decade from 1830 to 1840 with a 600 percent population increase. Stagecoaches attempted to fill the demand for fast and relatively . . . — — Map (db m160627) HM
On Kendale Boulevard, 0.2 miles north of East Saginaw Street (Business Interstate 69) when traveling north.
In 1920 the Michigan Automotive Trade Association was founded in Detroit. On May 19, 1921, the group was incorporated, with the following officers: G.S. Garber, President: H.H. Shuart Secretary; and Clark Graves, Treasurer. The association's purpose . . . — — Map (db m102983) HM
On Kalamazoo Plaza near River Street, on the left when traveling east.
Near this site in 1886, Ransom Eli Olds designed, built, and first drove a steam powered horseless carriage. In 1803, he brought out his first automobile using gasoline engine power. In 1897, he organized the Olds Motor Vehicle company and produced . . . — — Map (db m104356) HM
Near South Washington Square, on the right when traveling south.
Henry Ford transformed America by creating “a motor car for the great multitude.” Always interested in tinkering with machinery than in working on his parents’ Dearborn farm. Ford gravitated toward the young auto industry in the 1890’s. . . . — — Map (db m104169) HM
On South Washington Avenue at E. St. Joseph Street, on the right when traveling north on South Washington Avenue.
The road, cutting across downtown Lansing, was given the name "Olds Freeway' in honor of Ransom E. Olds. The new freeway reflected a national trend as workers moved out of the cities to suburban homes. I-496 spurred growth in the suburbs, but . . . — — Map (db m104215) HM
On South Washington Square at W. Allegan Street on South Washington Square.
Lansing's First Capitol Building
Early in 1847, three commissioners were appointed to select an appropriate site for the capitol in Lansing. The contract for construction was awarded on June 3, 1847. Building materials were shipped by boat on . . . — — Map (db m99950) HM
On W. Malcolm X Street at S. Walnut Street, on the right when traveling east on W. Malcolm X Street.
After fire destroyed the new Olds Motor Works plant in Detroit on March 9, 1901, the Lansing Business Men's Association offered Olds land originally acquired in hopes of permanently hosting the State Fair. He took it. His new plant produced only the . . . — — Map (db m104114) HM
On River Street, on the right when traveling north.
P.F. Olds founded a prosperous machine shop here on River Street, repairing and building steam and gasoline engines. His was one of many Lansing Manufacturing plants that produced small engines, carriages, windmills and other equipment used by . . . — — Map (db m104130) HM
Near South Washington Square, on the right when traveling south.
Rosa Parks became an icon of the modern Civil Rights movement for refusing to give up her Montgomery, Alabama, bus seat to a white passenger in December 1955. That defiant act fueled the movement that ended legal segregation in America. Because . . . — — Map (db m104194) HM
State Highway Department
Created in 1905, the State Highway Department, the precursor to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), revolutionized U.S. highway travel. Working with the Wayne County Road Commission, the agency paved . . . — — Map (db m214721) HM
On East Grand River Avenue (Michigan Route 43) at North Francis Avenue, on the right when traveling west on East Grand River Avenue.
This horse drawn steam engine was purchased in 1895 by Traverse City, Michigan. A city whose slogan was "Queen City of the North".
It was the city's first steam pumper and was called out possibly 4000 times before being replaced by a gasoline . . . — — Map (db m215912) HM
On West Grand River Avenue at North Capitol Avenue, on the right when traveling east on West Grand River Avenue.
The Pulver Brothers
As demand for oil and automobiles increased in the early 1920s, brothers Benjamin A. (1875-1960) and Elmer E. (1880-1965) Pulver formed the Pulver Oil Company to distribute Sinclair Oil products. In 1923 they built this . . . — — Map (db m214714) HM
Walter Reuther was a skilled die maker in Ford auto plants. Following a family heritage of labor and political activism, he joined the young United Auto Workers (UAW) in 1936 and quickly emerged as a leader. He gained national attention in May 1937 . . . — — Map (db m103708) HM
On West Malcolm X Street near South Capitol Drive, on the right when traveling east.
A Brief History
Ransom Eli Olds was born in Geneva, Ohio in 1864 on the family farm. At an early age he decided that life would be better without horses. He began tinkering with engines in his spare time while working at the P.F. Olds & Son . . . — — Map (db m239762) HM
In 23 years with the Michigan Department of Transportation
(1956-1979), Mr. Carroll was recognized as one of the most
able and far-sighted of Michigan's transportation planners.
His skills and leadership helped lay the groundwork for a . . . — — Map (db m203855) HM
Near Marsh Road, 0.3 miles north of Central Park Drive, on the left when traveling north.
Travel in the 1800s
Travel in the early 1800s was by water or land trails developed by native peoples. Many of these trails were portage routes from one river to another and often included swampy sections.
The pioneers who settled in this . . . — — Map (db m174982) HM
On North Putnam Street at High Street, on the left when traveling north on North Putnam Street.
1842: The wooden bridge
Though no records exist of Williamston's first bridge, there must have been bridges to move supplies and traffic between the mills and farms on the north side.
One entering our Village from the north, . . . — — Map (db m118899) HM
On State Highway 43 at Meridian Road, on the right when traveling west on State Highway 43.
The old Grand River Indian Trail, now US-16, became a plank road in 1848. A toll gate and Red Bridge Post Office were located here. Nearby were homes of John Mullett, pioneer surveyor, and John Forester, explorer, north Michigan mine pioneer. . . . — — Map (db m84681) HM
On West Main Street, on the right when traveling east.
Alfred Cornell, Sr., and his family came to Ionia during November,
1833. His son, Dr. Alanson Cornell, was a physician and druggist
who operated a drug store at the southwest corner of Main Street
and Cornell Alley. Dr. Cornell's home was on the . . . — — Map (db m216319) HM
On West Grand River Avenue, 0.1 miles east of Morrison Lake Road, on the right when traveling east.
Here on old U.S. 16 in Boston Township, Ionia County, the first picnic table along a highway right-of-way was placed in 1929 through the initiative of Allan Williams, county engineer. The table was built of salvage planks formerly used as . . . — — Map (db m55249) HM
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