Decline and Change of the Michigan Road 1841-1938
A historical overview by Albert C. Rose detailing why the Michigan Road lost primacy as Indiana’s main north–south route. It traces revenue gaps, parallel routes, canal and railroad competition, plank roads, and the rise of studs in wagon making as rail expansion redirected traffic away from the old wagon road toward industrialization and new transport modes.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ohio River
Lake Michigan
Indiana
Chicago
Detroit
Great Lakes
Vistula
Maumee River
Lake Erie
Fort Wayne
Michigan
Logansport
Allegheny Mountains
New York
Philadelphia
Canada
Michigan Road
South Bend
Madison and Indianapolis
Monon Railroad
New Albany
Salem
Michigan City
Peru and
Indianapolis
Cincinnati
St. Louis
Fort Sumter
Mutual Improvement Company
Indiana Corporation
Money Saving Hints on Home Heating by John Barclay
Moss homeowners fire furnaces with improper coal amounts and shut doors. Follow steps: shake ash for room until first red glow, level firebed toward back, avoid stirring ash, place first coal charge up to the firedoor, leave a live coals spot in front, keep damper open to burn gases, refuel as described for better heat and longer firing.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John Barclay
Early Michigan Road Development and Indiana’s Growth
The narrative traces road surface reforms from gravel to plank roads and toll protections, noting 1868 assembly actions, forested barriers, and a shift away from plank road laws. It then shifts to prewar Indiana life, describing modest towns along the Michigan Road and Indianapolis in 1860 with a population of 18,611 and limited employment.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Indianapolis
Michigan Road from planks to gravel and tolls
A historical sketch describes Indiana’s Michigan Road transition from rotten plank surfacing to graded gravel and privately owned turnpikes. It notes early wood-block pavements in Indianapolis from 1870, private toll roads resented, and county control of turnpikes beginning after legislative acts, with towns like Madison and South Bend expanding as rail links formed.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Indianapolis
Madion
South Bend
Michigan City
Michigan Road
General Assembly
Also Mentioned on This Page
Denton Journal
Melvin & Johnson, Inc
Albert C. Rose
Bureau of Public Roads
United States Department of Agriculture
Henry
Clement Studebaker
Michigan Street
John Studebaker
Studebaker
Ashland
Richland County
Ohio
Bellefontaine and Indianapolis Railroad
Big Four
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Wheeling
Parkersburg
State Board of Agriculture
J. H. Nichols & CO
Denton
L. M. Royer
Cordova, MD
Hillsboro
Philco
L.M. Royer
Cordova MD
WM. Schluderberg
J. Kurdle CO
Makers of
Best
Vilerey
Say Merry Christmas
Annapolis
Baltimore
Boston
Mass
Mich
Cumberland
Lancaster
Hlngerstown
N. Y
Norfolk
Ocean City
McPhile
Pittsburgh
Richmond
Salisbury
Washington, D. C
Westminster
Wilmington
Del
York
The
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company
Market St
Christeas
the Peoples Bank of
Maryland
Bek
Merry Christmas
Happy New Year
Eastern Shore Public Service
Continental American Life Insurance Company
Wilmington, Delaware
Denton, MD
Sinclair
Hinelele Refining Cor
Ig (Inc
Sinclair Refining Company (Inc
P. G. Crouse
Denton, Maryland
Ah ‘Rei
Mye
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!