Introduction
How the Highway Changed the Tri-Cities
The West Michigan Pike was more than just a highway. The people who worked to make the Pike a reality were motivated by ideas and hopes of how this road could benefit West Michigan. They saw the West Michigan Pike as a way to make roads safer for people traveling by bicycle or by car. They hoped it would encourage tourists from all over the country to enjoy the beauty of Lake Michigan's east coast. They were right.
This Exhibit, "The West Michigan Pike: Michigan City to Mackinaw." tells the story of the highway from 1913 to the present. It explains what the Good Roads" movement was and how it led to the development of the Pike. The highway made many changes along the coast that continue to benefit Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg today.
Photograph c. 1915 of Washington Avenue in Grand Haven, MI, looking toward Dewey Hill. 73.42.3
West Michigan Pike Marker
Maker Unknown
c. 1916
Concrete, steel
Courtesy of the Ottawa County Department of Planning and Performance Improvement
Concrete markers like this one let motorists know they were going the right way. Some of these markers are still in their original place along the WMP including one on the corner of Fulton and 7th St in
Grand Haven.
Timeline
1860's-
The invention of safer bicycles, cycling becomes a popular sport and leisure activity for all ages in the United States and Europe.
1870's-
Cyclists in the United States, especially in rural areas, begin advocating for better roads.
1883
The Michigan chapter of the Leauge of American Wheelmen is founded to promote building good roads.
1900's
Companies in the US begin producing gasoline-powered cars. Because fo the time and labor it took to build cars, only wealthy Americans could afford to buy them.
1901
Horatio S. Earle, Chief Counsl of the Michigan Division of the Leauge of American Wheelmen is elected to the Michigan State Senate running on a good roads platform.
1905
The State of Michigan Passes the "State Reward Law" which gave Michigan counties $250-$1,000 for every mile of road constructed.
1908
The Ford Motor company begins production of the Model T car. Ford's use of the assembly line allows workers to build more cars in less time, making cars affordable to middle class families.
1911
Good Road enthusiats have the idea to form the West Michigan Pike Lake Shore Highway Association (late the WMPA) to build a scenic highway up the coast of West Michigan. As more Americans buy cars, good roads become more of a priority.
1912
In January the first meeting of the Association is held. Grand Haven resident, Dr. William DeKleine is elected president of the association.
1913
Michigan passes the Trunk Line Act which established the planned routes of four state trunkline highways totaling 3,000 miles. The WMPA publishes the first annual Tourist Guide of the West Michigan Pike. The guide includes maps, mileage, and information on road conditions, hotels, and landmarks along the route.
1913
The first promotional pike tour of the West Michigan Pike is held in the summer. Travelers drive from St. Joseph, making stops in Muskegon, and Manistee, ending in Traverse City
1915
The Third Annual tour of the Pike takes place with the route now stretching from Michigan City to Mackinaw City. Grand Gaven resident, William Loutit takes over as President of the WMPA after Dr. DeKleine resigns.
1917
As more travelers use the pike the conditions of the road deteriorate. To fix the problem, Loutit makes a plea for the Pike to be paved with concrete instead of gravel.
1918
The Annual West Michigan Pike tour is canceled because of the United State's involvement in World War I.
1922
The route of the West Michigan Pike is considered complete, paved, and without detours. The fifth and final Tourist Guide of the West Michigan Pike is published. A "Pike Tour De Luxe" celebrates the work of the WMPA with parades and festivities.
1926
The United States Numbered Highway System changes the official name of the West Michigan from M-11 to US-31 to work towards creating a consistent system of road names throughout the country.
1929
The WMPA is reinstated to make repairs and widen the roads that had been worn down after years of traffic. Spring Lake resident, William "Concrete" Connelly is elected Vice President of the WMPA.
2016
The old west Michigan Pike is named "Pure Michigan Byway" in recognition of its contribution to Michigan's history.
Toy Car
Schieble Toy and Novelty
c. 1920s
Pressed tin
63.35.118
Children traveling the West Michigan Pike with their families may have seen a car that looked like this toy based on a 1920s coupe. Having toy cars to play with instilled a love of travel in young children and helped create the idea of the family road trip.
Sandy Streets
and the "Good Roads Movement"
The "Good Roads" movement started in the late 1870's in the Unites States. It has a simple, yet important goal: make roads safer and more realiable for bicycles and later, cars. Outside of cities most roads were made of dirt or loose gravel. While they worked for people walking or driving a wagon with horses, they were not as safe for bicycles. Cyclists came together to form a group, the Leaugue of American Wheelmen, that urged states and countries to make better roads.
After cars became popular, motorists joined the League. They also had reason to want better roads. In Michigan, many rural roads were sandy making it difficult to steer safely. When it rained the roads were even more treacherous, as cars sometimes became stuck in the mud. The League suggested that roads should be made of compact gravel in more stable, two-layer design called macadam, that would shed water and make a sturdy surface for cars and bicycles.
83.41.44-Washington Street in downtown Grand Haven, 1909. Cars, horses, and bicycles all shared the unpaved road.
A cyclist and a horse on an unpaved road in Ferrysburg, MI in 1880. 70.14.3
High Wheel Bicycle or “Penny-Farthing”
c. 1880s
Metal
89I.605.1
Early bicycles like this “penny-farthing” motivated people in the late 19th century to advocate for improved roads. The large difference in size between the front and rear wheels, combined with the slim tires, made it difficult to ride a bike safely on dirt roads.
Gaining Traction
Michigan's Road Policies Change
Several important changes had to take place in Michigan before the West Michigan Pike could become a reality. The Michigan constitution had to be amended in 1905 for the state to be able to pay for road upgrades. After the amendment passed, the state to be able to pay for road upgrades. After the amendment passed the state created the Michigan State Highway Department and rewards system for roads built to state standards. This mean that when a country built a road that was the right width and made with the right materials, the state gave them between $250 - $1,000 per mile. At first, counties worked slowly on their roads.
When the Michigan State Trunk Line Highways Act was passed in 1913, work progressed at a faster pace. The Act set up a state highway system and doubled the rewards for counties fixing the roads under their control. The actions of the Michigan State Highways Department from 1905-1913 helped make the West Michigan Pike possible.
Horatio "Good Roads" Earle, the father of the Good Roads Movement in Michigan. Earle was the first State Highway Commisioner for Michigan. Image courtesy of the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Driving Progress
The West Michigan Pike Association
Car Buffs and Michigan Country road officials joined together in 1912 to create the West Michigan Lake Shore Highway Association (WMLSHA). This group thought a highway on the west coast of Michigan would be good for tourism. A paved highway would also help farmers move their goods to cities and ports. Better roads would also lead to improve public health education and access to doctors.
The Tri-Cities area played an important role in the WMLSHA from the beginning. The group's first president, a man from Muskegon, was only able to serve for five months before he resigned. In his place, the Association chose Grand Haven resident Dr. William Dekleine. At this time, the group also changed its name to the West Michigan Pike Association (WMPA). The next president after DeKleine was William H. Loutit, also from Grand Haven. The representation of several Tri-Cities residents in WMPA likely led to the Pike's route through all three cities.
Early twentieth century postcard showing the West Michigan Pike route on what is now M 104/ Savidge Street. 99.77.4.
Touring the Pike
Lake Shore All the Way!
To broadcast their goals for good roads and the West Michigan Pike the WMPA set up an annual tour along the route and published a guide describing the route, attractions, mileage, and road conditions. The group planned stops in many of the cities on the route. These stops allowed Pikers to give speeches focused on how the West Michigan Pike and the Good Roads Movement would improve the lives of the audience.
Drivers started in Chicago and made their way up the coast; in 1913 they only made it to Petoskey, but in 1915 they finally reached Mackinaw City. Each year after the tour had come up the route, counties worked to upgrade their roads. Dr. DeKleine was the main scout for the West Michigan Pike in 1913, but he had help testing roads from drivers up and down the coast. While the Association pushed for counties and the state to upgrade roads, they needed to find the best roads in the meantime.