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M-12
Former state trunkline
Length: 406.63 mi[1] (654 km)
Existed: 1918 – 1926
History: Replaced by US 2 in 1926
West end: WIS 77 near Ironwood
East end: Former ferry docks in Sault Ste. Marie
Counties: Gogebic, Iron, Dickinson, Menominee, Delta, Schoolcraft, Mackinac, Chippewa
Michigan highways
< US-12 M-13 >

M-12 was the designation of a former state trunk line in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Shortly after the State Highway Department was established, Michigan began numbering their state highways in 1918 to alleviate the confusion caused by names given to particular sections of roads, referred to as auto trails. Some sections of roads might have had more than one name attached to them, creating potential confusion for motorists.[2] M-12 stretched for just over 400 miles across the Upper Peninsula, connecting Ironwood to Sault Ste. Marie.

Contents

[edit] Route description

[edit] Ironwood to Iron River

M-12 began at the Montreal River where Michigan and Wisconsin meet on Silver Street between the towns of Hurley, Wisconsin and Ironwood. From there, the road ran along the present day Aurora Street before turning north on Suffolk for one block, then returning east along Ayer. The portion of this section on Aurora and Silver Streets would later become Business US 2 as the US 2 routing of 1926 was shifted north onto Cloverland Drive to bypass the city to the north. The route then continued east on Ayer Street, where upon leaving the city limits it is now named Old County Road.

As the road approached the village of Bessemer, it traveled along present day Eli Avenue on the south side of the village before turning north along Spring Street, where it met up with Moore Street before turning east onto Lead Street. Lead Street runs through the center of Bessemer and is the present day routing of US 2. For the next two miles, the alignment of the road remains as it was in 1918 as it heads east along Lead Street into Ramsay. The road turned south into the village where it became Mill Street as it curved to the east. Shortly after, two quick 90-degree turns as the road jogs south before continuing east into Wakefield. M-12 traveled through the southern portion of the village along Sunday Lake and Charles Streets, not quite making it to downtown. Here, the road junctioned with M-28 just south of Sunday Lake.[3][4][5]

Between Ironwood and Wakefield, the roadway was well improved for its time. The majority of the route was graded with tarred macadam with the exception of a portion east of Bessemer which was graded with some gravel cover. A section just west of Ironwood was water bound macadam. However, the road conditions would deteriorate east of Wakefield, as the roadway was simply graveled until about halfway to Marenisco where the road was unimproved.[4]

From Wakefield, the road begins traveling to the southeast, through heavily forested areas as it enters the Ottawa National Forest. The road has a brief stint along present day Great Lakes Road, which runs just a few feet north of a future alignment of US 2 in this area. The road then weaves its way through forested areas as it meanders to the southeast on its way to Marinesco. As the road enters the village it takes a sharp turn to the south onto Fair Street. This road becomes a segment of M-64 when that highway designation is assigned to it in 1930.[6] After passing through the small settlement, the road then turned west onto Kimberly Road where it left the village, traveling northeast. The road then continued to wind its way through the forests, passing by Judson and Nelson Canyon Falls just south of Lake Gogebic, as it went on its way towards Watersmeet.

In 1919, the roadway just east of Marinesco to Watersmeet was unimproved at the time. No grading or gravel work had been performed and the road was a simple path through the forests. Since passing south of Lake Gogebic, the route of M-12 generally ran parallel to the present day alignment of US 2. It maintained this configuration, through to Watersmeet where it entered town on First Street before junctioning with M-26 (present day US 45). From there it made a sharp turn to the north then quickly back northeast as it traveled out of town.[4]

The road continued to wander its way through the forest and after leaving Watersmeet, ran close to the Ontonagon and Tamarack Rivers. The route continued southeast, crossing the south branch of the Paint River and passing on the northern side of Tamarack, James and Golden Lakes before turning due east and running into Beechwood. The section of road just north of James Lake until M-12 turned east would later become part of U.S. Route 16, which itself, would be later removed and is now named Forest Road 16.

After leaving Beechwood, the road became slightly improved as it was graded and graveled through to Iron River. It traveled to the southeast, in a undulating manner, along present day County Road 436, then due south on 657 where it then headed east towards Iron River. About one half mile prior to entering town, M-12 had a junction with M-73, which departed to the southwest, and still exists to this day. Entering Iron River, known as Adams Street, the road traveled through the center of town before shifting a block south at First Avenue onto Genesee Street, where it then traveled onto Lalley Road, which met up, once again, with Adams Street and leave the town traveling to the northeast.

[edit] History

When the United States Highway System was put into place in 1926, M-12 was largely replaced by the U.S. Route 2 designation, with the exception of the detour through Florence, WI. The section of M-12 between Crystal Falls and Sagola became M-69, and M-45 (now M-95) was extended south from Sagola to Iron Mountain.

[edit] Major intersections

County Location Mile[1][7] Roads Notes
Gogebic Ironwood 0.00 WIS 77 Western terminus was located at the state line on Silver Street
Wakefield 12.65 M-28  
Watersmeet 58.64 M-26 Present day US 45
Iron Iron River 93.26 M-73  
Crystal Falls 109.31 M-69 Former US 102, now US 141; Western terminus of overlap
110.47 M-69 Now US 2/141; Eastern terminus of overlap
Dickinson Sagola 123.24 M-45 Now M-69/M-95
Randville 129.26 M-90 Now M-69/M-95
Menominee Powers 172.93 M-15 Now US 41; Western terminus of overlap
Delta Gladstone 204.23 M-35  
Rapid River 210.16 M-15 Now US 41; Eastern terminus of overlap
Garden Corners 233.01 Delta County Route 483 Now M-183
Schoolcraft Manistique 254.56 M-94  
Mueller Township 279.09 M-77  
Mackinac Garfield Township 296.39 M-84 Now M-117
Hendricks Township 315.94 M-48 Now H-40
Pickford 380.30 M-48 Southern terminus of overlap
Chippewa 384.27 M-48 Northern terminus of overlap
Sault Ste. Marie 406.63 Former ferry docks Before 1962, these docks were the only connection between Michigan and Ontario, Canada; Eastern terminus
Legend
Crossing, no access Concurrency terminus Deleted Unconstructed Closed

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b MiGDL - Center for Geographic Information - Geographic Data Library. Michigan Department of Information Technology (May 2007). Retrieved on 2008-02-27.
  2. ^ Bessert, Christopher J.. Michigan Highways: Historical Overview. Michigan Highways. Retrieved on 2008-02-28.
  3. ^ Bessert, Christopher J.. Michigan Highways: Highways 1 through 9. Michigan Highways. Retrieved on 2008-02-28.
  4. ^ a b c Michigan State Highway Department (1919-07-01). As The State Trunk Line System Looked. State of Michigan. Retrieved on 2008-02-28.
  5. ^ DeLorme (2003). Michigan Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, ME: DeLorme, 96, 113. ISBN 0899333354. 
  6. ^ Bessert, Christopher J.. Michigan Highways: Highways 60 through 69. Michigan Highways. Retrieved on 2008-02-28.
  7. ^ Bessert, Christopher J.. Michigan Highways: Highways 1 through 9. Michigan Highways. Retrieved on 2008-02-27.

[edit] External links

Browse numbered routes
< US-12 MI M-13 >