The Chicago Road / Old Sauk Trail
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S5280ft
N 41° 51.856 W 085° 13.630
16T E 647136 N 4636225
Located in an MDOT roadside park on the north side of the Chicago Road (US-12) about 2 miles west of Bronson. Of course there is parking available.
Waymark Code: WM2QEP
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 12/07/2007
Views: 102
From the Michigan Historical Marker on site:
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. Because of its many curves the road was likened to "a huge serpent, lazily pursuing its onward course, utterly unconcerned as to its destination." Originally designed as a military highway linking the forts at Detroit and Chicago, the road proved to be more important in opening southern Michigan to settlement and as a westward land route enabling travelers to avoid the long voyage by boat around lower Michigan. By the 1830's pioneer families by the thousands each year were moving over this road in their wagons. By 1835 the Western Stage Company of Detroit was running two stages daily to Chicago. Much of the road was little more than an unimproved trail, making a trip over it an unforgettable and an uncomfortable experience. Buildings from that bygone age still stand along US-12, the Chicago Road's descendant.
Feature Discription: Michigan Historical Marker
Web address for the route: [Web Link]
Secondary Web Address: [Web Link]
Beginning of the road: Detroit, Michigan
End of the road: Rock Island, Illinois
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Visit Instructions:
We ask that if you visit the site, please include a unique picture with your impressions of the location. If possible, and if you are not too shy, please include yourself and your group in the photo. Extra points will be given for your best buffalo imitation or if you are licking something salty.