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106-567: The North Central State Trail occupies what was once the northernmost segment of the Michigan Central Railroad . This Detroit-based railway, one of the largest and most profitable in the Lower Peninsula, constructed a land-grant section of trackage northward from its primary service area to Mackinaw City in 1882. This spur line served what was then a booming area of old-growth timberland . The Michigan Central, which

212-662: A boulevard , a divided street with a median; left turns along this section of roadway are made by performing a Michigan left maneuver using the U-turn crossovers in the median. Between McNichols and 7 Mile Road, Woodward Avenue travels to the east of the Detroit Golf Club in the Palmer Park area. North of 7 Mile, the highway runs to the west of the Michigan State Fairgrounds and to

318-426: A burgeoning music scene in the early days of rock 'n roll, and the area also had plenty of bars and burlesque shows as late as the 1970s. One local journalist called the mix of churches, clubs, and bars along Woodward Avenue "a precarious balance between the sacred and the profane". As well as music clubs, many of Detroit's other major entertainment venues are located on or near Woodward in downtown Detroit, including

424-523: A carrier of autos and auto-related parts. The Michigan Central was one of the few Michigan railroads with a direct line into Chicago, meaning it did not have to operate cross-lake ferries , as did virtually all other railroads operating in Michigan, such as the Pere Marquette , Pennsylvania , Grand Trunk , and Ann Arbor Railroads . Michigan Central was part owner of the ferry service operated to

530-518: A city subway system in Detroit. The streetcar system, like those in other cities across the US, fell into decline after World War II . Unlike the streetcar conspiracy alleged in other cities, the decline of Detroit's publicly owned system was related to a multitude of different factors. Increased spending on roads benefitted competing bus lines, and zoning changes coupled with freeway construction shifted

636-566: A consistent numbering system from downtown Detroit to Pontiac. Previously, each city along the route had its own address system. In June 2017, the southernmost block of Woodward Avenue south of Larned Street closed to automobiles to create a temporary pedestrian plaza. This closure was made permanent the following November. On August 27, 1863, the Detroit City Railway Company (DCRC) established streetcar service along Woodward from Jefferson to Adams avenues. The company

742-535: A dedicated Woodward Avenue bus lane, private investors who supported the shorter three-mile line to New Center continued developing that project. On July 28, 2014, construction started for a streetcar line to stretch from downtown Detroit to Grand Boulevard in New Center. The line was to have 20 different stations serving 12 stops, with most of the stations curbside on either side of Woodward Avenue going uptown or downtown. The line will have center road stations at

848-567: A grant for $ 45,000 (equivalent to $ 60,000 in 2023 ) from the FHWA in 2011 to install a set of 50 custom road signs along M-1 between Detroit and Pontiac. WA3 sells replicas of these signs to discourage theft. Profits are also being used along with money from clothing and other merchandise to support the Woodward Avenue Beautification Fund, a special endowment created in 2010 to aid the 11 communities along

954-468: A herd of cattle. Tolls along some segments of Woodward Avenue remained in place as late as 1908. The first automobile in Detroit was driven by Charles Brady King along Woodward Avenue on March 3, 1896, a few weeks before Henry Ford drove his first car in the city. In 1909, the first mile (1.6 km) of concrete roadway in the country was paved between 6 and 7 Mile roads at a cost of $ 14,000 (equivalent to $ 340,000 in 2023 ). On May 13, 1913,

1060-520: A larger plot of land on the west side of the city along Livernois Avenue, then consisting of two roundhouses and car repair shops. In 1919 new freight and locomotive terminals were constructed in Niles, Michigan . However, the primary locomotive and car repair shops during the steam era were located in Jackson, Michigan , established in 1871. They closed in 1949 during a coal strike and never reopened due to

1166-625: A network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility. As well as the sections of Woodward Avenue in Pontiac that are part of Business Loop I-75 (BL I-75) and Business US 24 (Bus. US 24), all of M-1 is a Pure Michigan Byway and an All-American Road . Woodward Avenue is considered to be the divider between the East and West sides of the city of Detroit. Woodward Avenue starts at an intersection with Jefferson Avenue next to Hart Plaza about 750 feet (230 m) from

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1272-460: A reputation for the competition. The numerous drive-ins , each with its dedicated local teenaged clientele, were also popular. Woodward had numerous car dealerships and automobile accessory shops in the age of the muscle car which completed the formula for young adults to " cruise ", race and hang out along the road. The Woodward Dream Cruise takes place on Woodward Avenue between Pontiac and Ferndale during August of each year, evoking nostalgia of

1378-628: A victim of extensive vandalism. Over the next 30 years, several proposals and concepts for redevelopment were suggested, none coming to fruition. The estimated cost of renovations was $ 80 million, but the owners viewed finding the right use as a greater problem than financing. Though listed on the National Register of Historic Places , the Detroit City Council passed a resolution to demolish the station in April 2009. The council

1484-550: Is also gone. Amtrak trains serving the Michigan Central Detroit line now use the former NYC to Porter, where they turn north on Michigan Central. Passenger equipment was mostly similar to that of parent New York Central System. Typically this meant an EMD E-series locomotive and Pullman-Standard lightweight rolling stock. Because General Motors ( Electro-Motive Division ) was a large customer of Michigan Central, use of Alco or General Electric locomotives

1590-639: Is close to the docks once operated by the Mackinac Transportation Company. The Iron Belle Trail cross-state bike trail uses the North Central State Trail as one of its segments. In 2018–19, the trail was extended southerly from its original terminus at Gaylord to the Crawford - Otsego County line, 1.6 miles (2.6 km) south of the community of Waters , a total of 12.0 miles (19.3 km). Extension of

1696-450: Is considered the second largest in the country. An adjacent sports and entertainment district has been created near Woodward Avenue in the 21st century. "District Detroit" as it is called includes Comerica Park (2000), Ford Field (2002) and Little Caesars Arena (2017), which are the home venues for all four of Detroit's professional sports teams. The district is the most compact collection in any American city, according to Patrick Rishe,

1802-598: Is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and now houses the Gandy Dancer Restaurant. The Michigan Central also built and operated a swing bridge over Trail Creek at Michigan City, Indiana . This swing bridge is similar to the moving span at Spuyten Duyvil owned by parent New York Central, but has no approach spans. It is still in operation and owned by Amtrak. No historic Michigan Central-specific equipment exists today. After

1908-475: Is now M-10 ) and the portion of Jefferson Avenue between the Lodge Freeway and Randolph Street (then US 25 , now M-3 ). The M-1 designation was applied to the section of Woodward Avenue from Jefferson Avenue in downtown Detroit to Square Lake Road along the southern border of Pontiac. Woodward north of Square Lake Road was designated as a business route of both US 10 and I-75. When US 10

2014-603: Is now Clara's on the River Restaurant. Located between Augusta and Galesburg Michigan, the massive re-enforced concrete building stands over the Detroit to Chicago mainline. Built in 1923, it was used to refuel and water steam engines. It fell out of use post-World War II, as diesel engines came onto the scene. The former Michigan Central Station in Ann Arbor , Michigan, a granite stone block building built in 1886 and designed by Frederick Spier of Spier and Rohns ,

2120-723: The Canadian Pacific Railway . The Michigan Central Railway Bridge opened in February 1925 and remained in use until the early 21st century. It replaced the earlier Niagara Cantilever Bridge which had been commissioned in 1883 by Cornelius Vanderbilt ; the older bridge was scrapped as the new MCR bridge went into service. The MCR cantilever bridge was inducted into the North America Railway Hall of Fame in 2006, long after it had been scrapped. The Hall of Fame report discussed its significance to

2226-697: The Detroit River . The plaza is regarded as the birthplace of the Ford Motor Company , and it is located near Huntington Plaza and the Renaissance Center , headquarters for General Motors (GM). The first block of Woodward Avenue, between Jefferson Avenue and Larned Street, is a pedestrian plaza, the Spirit of Detroit Plaza , home of the namesake statue used to symbolize the city. Woodward Avenue runs north-northwesterly away from

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2332-573: The Fox Theatre , Majestic Theater , and the rest of the theater district , the second-largest in the country. During World War II , the area was likewise home to 24-hour movie theaters and bowling alleys. Curfews across the river in Windsor, Ontario , meant that many patrons during the war years were Canadian. They frequented the establishments along with the Americans, many of whom worked in

2438-671: The Mackinac Transportation Company , which operated the SS Chief Wawatam until 1984. The Chief Wawatam was a front-loading, hand-fired, coal-fed steamer . It was the last hand-fired steamer in the free world at its long-overdue retirement in 1984. The Chief Wawatam continued to operate until 2009, cut down to a barge . One Chief Wawatam engine was salvaged and restored by the Wisconsin Maritime Museum . Other artifacts from

2544-434: The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). After that historic district, the avenue travels through the middle of Grand Circus Park ; the northern edge of the park is bounded by Adams Avenue, where state maintenance begins. North of Adams Avenue, Woodward Avenue is a state trunkline designated M-1. The highway crosses to the west of Comerica Park and Ford Field , home of Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers and

2650-545: The River Rouge and returns to its original routing north of Maple (15 Mile ) Road. North of Birmingham, Woodward crosses through part of Bloomfield Township for the first time before entering Bloomfield Hills . That suburb's downtown is centered on the intersection with Long Lake Road; Woodward passes between a pair of golf courses north of there. The highway enters the south side of Pontiac's residential neighborhoods after crossing back into Bloomfield Township. At

2756-778: The United States and the province of Ontario in Canada . After about 1867 the railroad was controlled by the New York Central Railroad , which later became part of Penn Central and then Conrail . After the 1998 Conrail breakup, Norfolk Southern Railway now owns much of the former Michigan Central trackage. At the end of 1925, MC operated 1,871 miles (3,011 km) of road and 4,139 miles (6,661 km) of track; that year it reported 4,304,000 net ton-miles of revenue freight and 600 million passenger-miles. The line between Detroit and St. Joseph, Michigan ,

2862-588: The Upper Peninsula as well as cross-river ferry service to Ontario , but these routes did not exist to circumvent Chicago. The Michigan Central Railroad (MCR) and then parent New York Central Railroad (NYC) owned the Canada Southern Railroad (CSR), which had lines throughout southwestern Ontario from Windsor to Niagara Falls . The railroad operated a car-float service over the Detroit River from 1883; an immersed tube tunnel under

2968-627: The 1950s and 1960s, when it was common for young drivers to cruise with their cars on Woodward Avenue. The event attracts huge crowds of classic car owners and admirers from around the world to the Metro Detroit area in celebration of Detroit's automotive history; an estimated one million spectators attended the 2009 event. The cruise was founded in 1995 as a fundraiser for a soccer field in Ferndale. Neighboring cities joined in, and by 1997, auto manufacturers and other vendors had begun sponsoring

3074-581: The Canada Division Passenger Service, saw a major surge beginning at the start of the 1920s. Between 1920 and 1922, the legendary Wolverine passenger train operated in two sections, five days per week along CSR's mainline. Then, in the summer of 1923, the eastbound Wolverine began running from Detroit to Buffalo without any scheduled stops in Canada, making the trip in 4 hours and 50 minutes, an unprecedented achievement. During

3180-685: The Detroit River between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario; and the MCR cantilever bridge at Niagara Falls , which was later replaced with a steel arch bridge in 1925. The car-float operation ended when the Detroit River tunnel was completed. Control of Canada Southern passed from MCR to NYC, then Penn Central, then Conrail . In 1985, the Canada Southern was sold to two companies, the Canadian National Railway and

3286-575: The Detroit Unified Railway on May 15, 1922; afterwards, the streetcar system became the city's Department of Street Railways . Following the change in control, the city also formed the Detroit Rapid Transit Commission to build a subway system. Early proposals included a station under Woodward Avenue next to Detroit City Hall . In 1926, a four-line system encompassing 47 miles (76 km) of lines

North Central State Trail - Misplaced Pages Continue

3392-469: The Highland Park plant adjacent to Woodward Avenue in 1910. Employees at the plant used the streetcar system along Woodward to get to work; these lines also provided transportation options to assembly plant workers affected by gas rationing during World War II. During the 1950s and 1960s, automobile engineers street tested their cars along Woodward Avenue between 8 Mile and Square Lake roads;

3498-545: The Legislature created the state's highway system ; Woodward Avenue was included as part of "Division 2". The full length was paved in 1916. The first crow's nest traffic tower in the US was installed at the intersection of Woodward and Michigan avenues on October 9, 1917; the tower elevated a police officer above the center of the intersection to direct traffic before the structure was replaced in October 1920 with

3604-646: The MC had a lease that ran for a few more years. The MC route from Chicago to Porter, Indiana , is mostly intact. The Kensington Interchange, shared with the South Shore Line , was cut out. These tracks now belong to Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad , and are overgrown stub tracks ending short of the interchange. Some trackage around the Indiana Harbor Belt's Gibson Yard has also been removed. The MC's South Water Street freight trackage in downtown Chicago

3710-563: The Michigan Central after dieselization. The station in Dexter, Michigan, has some railroad memorabilia around it, such as an old level crossing signal and a baggage cart. The Michigan Central, having been only a "paper" railroad for decades and not owning any track since the late 1970s, was merged into United Railroad Corp. (a subsidiary of Penn Central) on December 7, 1995. Today, Norfolk Southern owns most trackage not abandoned in

3816-709: The National Football League's Detroit Lions , respectively. Woodward passes the historic Fox Theatre before it crosses over I-75 (Fisher Freeway) without an interchange; access between the two highways is through the service drives that connect to adjacent interchanges. North of the freeway, M-1 passes Little Caesars Arena , home of the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings and the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons . A six-lane street,

3922-745: The Niles station is occasionally portrayed in film. Also the Dowagiac station is used by Amtrak which was built by M.C.R.R. In July 2007, Norfolk Southern was in talks with Watco , a shortline holding company, to sell the Kalamazoo-Detroit portion of the Michigan Central main line. The proposal was set before the Surface Transportation Board , and was officially endorsed by Amtrak in September 2007. In December 2007

4028-594: The STB rejected the plan, citing concerns over the relationship between the Norfolk Southern and Watco. Labor unions had raised concerns over the transfer of operations to a substantially non-transportation company, under which different labor regulations would apply. Woodward Avenue M-1 , also known as Woodward Avenue , is a north–south state trunkline highway in the Metro Detroit area of

4134-624: The Straits of Mackinac, following the route of the old Saginaw Trail northward along Woodward Avenue. Since 1924, Woodward Avenue has hosted America's Thanksgiving Parade , the second oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in the United States. In 1925, the intersection between Woodward Avenue and State Street was busier than Times Square . On November 11, 1926, the United States Numbered Highway System

4240-459: The US state of Michigan . The highway, called "Detroit's Main Street", runs from Detroit north-northwesterly to Pontiac . It is one of the five principal avenues of Detroit, along with Michigan , Grand River , Gratiot , and Jefferson avenues. These streets were platted in 1805 by Judge Augustus B. Woodward , namesake to Woodward Avenue. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has listed

4346-640: The Woodward Avenue Improvement Association, pledged not to shave his face until he had the necessary permissions in hand. This resolution allowed Woodward to be widened from 66 to 120 feet (20 to 37 m). Several buildings were removed to clear the wider street path, and St. John's Episcopal Church was moved 60 feet (18 m) to avoid demolition. Work started in 1933 and cost $ 7.5 million (equivalent to $ 140 million in 2023 ) to complete. A bypass of downtown Birmingham opened in 1939, drawing through traffic away from

North Central State Trail - Misplaced Pages Continue

4452-728: The automotive industry. Woodward Avenue was created after the Great Fire of 1805 in Detroit. The thoroughfare followed the route of the Saginaw Trail , an Indian trail that linked Detroit with Pontiac, Flint , and Saginaw . The Saginaw Trail connected to the Mackinaw Trail , which ran north to the Straits of Mackinac at the tip of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan . In the age of the auto trails , Woodward Avenue

4558-509: The avenue retained the judge's name. Detroit was incorporated in 1815, and the initial roadway to connect Detroit north to Pontiac along the Saginaw Trail was started in 1817; this was a corduroy road built by laying down logs and filling in the gaps with clay or sand. The territorial legislature authorized a survey of the roadway to Pontiac on December 7, 1818, and the route was approved by Governor Lewis Cass on December 15, 1819,

4664-414: The building for redevelopment into a mixed use facility and cornerstone of the company's new Corktown campus. The Michigan Central station at Niles, Michigan , is also famous, having appeared in several Hollywood movies. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Michigan Central Railroad Depot (Battle Creek, MI) opened on July 27, 1888. Rogers and MacFarlane of Detroit designed

4770-553: The building is of the Beaux-Arts Classical style of architecture, designed by the Warren and Wetmore and Reed and Stem firms who also designed New York City 's Grand Central Terminal . As such, Michigan Central Station bears more than a passing resemblance to New York's famed rail station. It was the world's tallest railroad terminal at that time. Last used by Amtrak in 1988, Michigan Central Station then become

4876-405: The busy Woodward Avenue–Maple Road intersection. The bypass was originally named Hunter Boulevard. On September 6, 1997, Birmingham renamed the bypass to Woodward Avenue, with the previous alignment of Woodward signed as Old Woodward Avenue. In October 1969, AASHO approved a realignment of US 10 in the Detroit area; the next year the designation was rerouted to follow the Lodge Freeway (what

4982-500: The byway status in 2002, Norman Mineta , then United States Secretary of Transportation , said that "Woodward Avenue put the world on wheels, and America's automobile heritage is represented along this corridor." The Woodward Avenue Action Association (WA3), the local agency that acts as the stewards and advocates for the All-American Road and Pure Michigan Byway designations as well as adjacent historical sites, obtained

5088-550: The city of Detroit for the first time and crosses into Highland Park, an enclave within Detroit. It is within Highland Park that M-1 intersects M-8, the Davison Freeway. Woodward passes over the Davison, which was the first urban, depressed freeway in the US, at an interchange south of Highland Park's downtown business district. M-1 crosses that district and runs next to the historic Highland Park Ford Plant , home of

5194-415: The city's automotive history. North of I-94, Woodward passes through New Center ; this district is home to Cadillac Place , the former headquarters of GM. The neighborhoods on either side of the highway transition in composition north of New Center; this area is mostly residential in nature. Between the intersections with Webb Street/Woodland Street and Tuxedo Street/Tennyson Street, Woodward Avenue leaves

5300-537: The city's major freeways like Interstate 94 (I-94, Edsel Ford Freeway) and M-8 (Davison Freeway). Woodward Avenue exits Detroit at M-102 (8 Mile Road) and runs through the city's northern suburbs in Oakland County on its way to Pontiac. In between, Woodward Avenue passes through several historic districts in Detroit and provides access to many businesses in the area. The name Woodward Avenue has become synonymous with Detroit, cruising culture and

5406-541: The city's population to areas away from the older streetcar lines. During the early 1950s, several lines were converted to buses after labor strikes, and other lines were eliminated. On April 8, 1956, a parade was held when the last streetcars stopped running along Woodward Avenue and in Detroit; the remaining cars were sent to Mexico City . In the first decade of the 21st century, local business and government officials proposed two projects to add modern streetcars to M-1, an approximately nine-mile-long (14 km) line from

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5512-565: The coach and went off the track to the right; its pilot dug into the dirt, and the locomotive whipped around and slammed over on its side, facing in the direction from which it came. Both the engineer and the fireman were killed in the wreck, making the death toll 37. The MCR Jackson station in Jackson, Michigan, opened in 1873 and is the oldest continuously operated passenger station in North America. The Dexter, Michigan, train depot

5618-528: The conversion of motive power to diesel engines. The Michigan Central Railroad (MCR) operated mostly passenger trains between Chicago and Detroit. These trains ranged from locals to the Wolverine . In 1904, MCR began a long-term lease of Canada Southern Railway (CSR), which operated the most direct route between Detroit and New York. CSR's mainline cut through the heart of southwestern Ontario , between Windsor and Fort Erie . The new service, known as

5724-459: The crossing on the ties, and was rerailed by the crossing's frog, the tender and first several cars of the train remained derailed as they rode the ties. The train stopped with the Michigan Central locomotive about 400 feet beyond the crossing and the first coach fouling the crossing. The 'Interstate Express' locomotive (NYC 4828) hit the wooden coach broadside, demolishing it, killing 35 passengers, and injuring 11. Locomotive 4828 derailed upon hitting

5830-405: The department's jurisdiction to city control; another part of the proposal involved MDOT assuming control over a section of Woodward Avenue from Adams Avenue south to Grand River Avenue. These transfers were completed the following year. In 2004, the southern terminus was moved north three blocks to Adams Avenue. A massive address renumbering project ensued along Woodward Avenue in 1997, creating

5936-479: The depot, one of several Richardsonian Romanesque-style stations between Detroit and Chicago in the late nineteenth century. Thomas Edison as well as presidents William Howard Taft and Gerald Ford visited here. The depot was acquired by the New York Central Railroad in 1918, Penn Central in 1968 and Amtrak in 1970. The depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and

6042-650: The director of the Sports Business Program at Washington University in St. Louis . Woodward Avenue's connection to Detroit's automobile culture dates to the early 20th century. Around 100 automobile companies were founded along the roadway. Henry Ford developed and first produced the Model T in 1907–08 at his Piquette Avenue Plant to the east of Woodward Avenue. The first 12,000 Model Ts were built there, before Ford moved production of his cars to

6148-412: The early 1980s. Lake State Railway now operates the remnants former Detroit-Mackinaw City line from Bay City to Gaylord , which is partially owned by the state of Michigan. What remained of CASO was mostly abandoned by Canadian National in 2011, after seeing little to no traffic for years. Amtrak owns the Detroit line from Porter, Indiana , to Kalamazoo, Michigan , while the state of Michigan owns

6254-452: The east of the Palmer Woods Historic District . The northern edge of the fairgrounds is at M-102 (8 Mile Road), which is also where Woodward Avenue exits Detroit for the second time; the two boulevards cross in a large interchange . Crossing the border into the suburb of Ferndale in Oakland County , the highway runs through residential neighborhoods but is lined with adjacent businesses. The intersection with 9 Mile Road marks

6360-467: The east. The highway passes the Roseland Park Cemetery north of 12 Mile Road before crossing fully into Royal Oak. Near 13 Mile Road, the trunkline passes through a commercial district anchored by a shopping center and Beaumont Hospital . North of 14 Mile Road in Birmingham , M-1 and Woodward Avenue leaves the original route, which is named Old Woodward Avenue, and runs to the east of it to bypass that suburb's downtown area. The highway crosses

6466-409: The event. In 1701, the first transportation routes through what became the state of Michigan were the lakes, rivers and Indian trails. One of these, the Saginaw Trail , followed what is now Woodward Avenue from the Detroit area north to Saginaw , where it connected with the Mackinaw Trail north to the Straits of Mackinac . The Town of Detroit created 120-foot-wide (37 m) rights-of-way for

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6572-409: The factories of the Detroit area. The theater district has undergone a renaissance after renovations and improvements during the 1980s and 1990s, leading to a resurgence in the performing arts in the city. In 2002, the Fox Theatre outsold the larger Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, earning the "No. 1 theater in North America" title from Pollstar , an industry trade journal, and the district

6678-421: The ferry, including the whistle, wheel, telegraphs, and furniture, are preserved by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission in Mackinaw City . Car floats also ran across the Detroit River to Windsor, Ontario, for high and wide loads that could not fit through the tunnels. The major competitors of the Michigan Central were: On June 22, 1918, the engineer of a Michigan Central troop train fell asleep, causing

6784-419: The first to be done in the future state. The Michigan Legislature authorized the construction of a private plank road with tolls to connect Detroit with Pontiac in 1848. By the next year, 16-foot-wide (4.9 m) and 3-inch-thick (7.6 cm) oak planks were laid along the road between the two communities. Tolls were one cent per mile (0.62 ¢/km) for vehicles and two cents per mile (1.2 ¢/km) for

6890-422: The highway as the Automotive Heritage Trail , an All-American Road in the National Scenic Byways Program. It has also been designated a Pure Michigan Byway by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), and was also included in the MotorCities National Heritage Area designated by the US Congress in 1998. The trunkline is the dividing line between Detroit's East and West sides and connects to some of

6996-437: The highway travels through mixed residential and commercial areas of Midtown including the Midtown Woodward Historic District , another district listed on the NRHP. South of I-94, Woodward heads through the Cultural Center Historic District , which includes the campus of Wayne State University , the Detroit Public Library , and the Detroit Institute of Arts ; the institute and the nearby Detroit Historical Museum showcase

7102-405: The highway with maintenance and to defray costs associated with special events on the avenue. As well as the custom signage, WA3 has received FHWA grant funding to erect a series of lighted "tributes": solar-powered, lighted pillars that contain artwork related to the roadway. The $ 150,000 glass and concrete sculptures are being placed in the median along Woodward Avenue to serve as landmarks along

7208-417: The intersection with Square Lake Road, M-1 terminates. Woodward Avenue continues northwesterly into Pontiac carrying the BL I-75 and Bus. US 24 designations; it terminates after the two directions of the boulevard diverge and form a one-way loop around the city's business district. Many historical sites are located along Woodward Avenue, which was included in the MotorCities National Heritage Area when it

7314-482: The line from there to Dearborn, Michigan . This line is a projected "high speed" line; a portion of the line was converted to 110 MPH operation in early 2012 with further upgrades planned. Amtrak operates three Chicago-Detroit- Pontiac trains each way per day, under the old banner Wolverine . The Port Huron train (the Blue Water ) also uses this line as far east as Battle Creek, Michigan . Both Kalamazoo and Niles have retained their old Michigan Central Stations;

7420-409: The line to Kensington, Illinois , (now a south Chicago neighborhood) in 1852, using Illinois Central trackage rights to downtown Chicago. The completed railroad was 270 miles (430 km) in length. In the same year the first train ran from Detroit to Chicago. The first repair shops were built in 1851 and located on 20 acres of waterfront property in Detroit, Michigan . In 1873 they were moved to

7526-407: The modern routing of Woodward Avenue. The wide avenues, in emulation of the street plan for Washington, DC , were intended to make Detroit look like the "Paris of the West". Augustus Woodward was a judge in the Michigan Territory appointed by his friend, President Thomas Jefferson . He was also a colonel in the territorial militia and a president of one of Detroit's first banks. Woodward named

7632-445: The original moving assembly line used to produce Model Ts ; opened in 1910, the plant's assembly line dropped the time needed to build a car from 12 hours to 93 minutes and allowed Ford to meet demand for the car. M-1 crosses back into Detroit at the intersection with McNichols Road; the latter street occupies the 6 Mile location in Detroit's Mile Road System . North of this intersection, Woodward Avenue widens into

7738-406: The principal streets of the city in 1805. This street plan was devised by Augustus Woodward and others following a devastating fire in Detroit, with a mandate from the territorial governor to improve on the previous plan. Two of these principal streets were established by the territorial government on September 18, 1805, as "permanent public roads, avenues or highways", one of which was to run along

7844-436: The railroad with T-rail of not less than sixty pounds to the yard and also to replace the poorly built rails between Kalamazoo and Detroit with similar quality rail, as the state-built rail was of low quality. The new owners met this obligation by building the rest of the line some 74.84 miles (120.44 km) to the shores of Lake Michigan by 1849. However, rather than go to St. Joseph, instead they went to New Buffalo . This

7950-405: The railway industry in the category of "North America: Facilities & Structures." All major Michigan railroads except the Michigan Central operated a rail ferry service across Lake Michigan . The MC had the most direct route across Southern Michigan from Detroit to Chicago. The Michigan Central also had the best access to Chicago of any Michigan railroad. The Michigan Central did own part of

8056-650: The river through the heart of downtown Detroit and the Financial District . Along the way, it passes several important and historic sites, including notable buildings like One Woodward Avenue , the Guardian Building , and The Qube . Further north, Woodward Avenue runs around Campus Martius Park and enters the Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District , a retail, commercial, and residential district listed on

8162-521: The roadway was included, numbered as part of M-10 in 1919. Later, it was part of US Highway 10 (US 10) following the creation of the United States Numbered Highway System . Since 1970, it has borne the M-1 designation. The roadway carried streetcar lines from the 1860s until the 1950s; a new streetcar line known as the QLine opened along part of M-1 in 2017. Like other state highways in Michigan,

8268-432: The roadway was the only such location where this activity was practiced. Young carriage drivers raced one another along Woodward Avenue after the roadway was converted from logs to planks in 1848. They placed bets on each other's carriages while racing from tavern to tavern. By 1958, the roadway was used for unofficial street racing with cars. The wide width, median and sections lacking a large commercial presence attracted

8374-604: The route of the roadway and to brand it for tourists. A total of 10 to 12 installations are planned for the length of the highway in Wayne and Oakland counties. The art project received a 2011 National Scenic Byway Award for the Byways interpretation category. The area around Woodward was once nicknamed "Piety Hill". There are 22  churches on the NRHP along the street in Detroit and Highland Park. According to The Detroit News ,

8480-818: The same summer, the Canada Division was moving 2,300 through passengers per day. By the end of the decade, a fleet of 205 J-1 class Hudsons – one of the most powerful locomotives for passenger service yet designed – was hauling passengers along the CSR mainline. However, by the 1930s the Wolverine was making stops in the Canadian section of the route. Also, by the late 1940s, the Empire State Express passed from Buffalo into Southwestern Ontario; however, it terminated at Detroit. While Michigan Central

8586-611: The section of Woodward Avenue designated M-1 is maintained by MDOT. In 2021, the department's traffic surveys showed that on average , 68,359 vehicles used the highway daily south of 14 Mile Road in Royal Oak and 15,909 vehicles did so each day in north of Chicago Boulevard in Detroit , the highest and lowest counts along the highway, respectively. All of M-1 is listed on the National Highway System ,

8692-441: The sounds of church bells and horse hooves were some of the most distinctive sounds on Sundays along Woodward Avenue in the early 20th century. The street was home to jazz clubs starting in the 1910s and 1920s, starting a period of transition. During the 1940s, ministers lobbied for a law to prevent the issuance of additional liquor licenses in their neighborhood; the law was later overturned in 1950. Nightclubs along Woodward hosted

8798-645: The steam era, almost all equipment was lettered for New York Central. Many common New York Central locomotives and rolling stock are preserved in places like Illinois Railway Museum and the National New York Central Museum, in Elkhart, Indiana. The latter includes a sample passenger train in NYC livery, although the two coaches are actually of Illinois Central heritage. The E8 and observation car are original NYC equipment and very likely served on

8904-407: The street for himself, responding whimsically to the resulting criticism: "Not so. The avenue is named Woodward because it runs wood-ward, toward the woods." Other proposals for names included Court House Street or Market Street. For a time, one section was named Congress Street, Witherell Street, Saginaw Road or Saginaw Turnpike, with another section dubbed Pontiac Road. Unlike these other monikers,

9010-588: The suburb's downtown area. Further north in Pleasant Ridge , the north-northwesterly path of Woodward Avenue changes as the road turns to the northwest. After the curve, M-1 meets I-696 (Reuther Freeway); immediately north of this interchange in Huntington Woods is the Detroit Zoo . North of 11 Mile Road, Woodward Avenue forms the border between Berkley to the west and Royal Oak to

9116-616: The trail was accomplished through a $ 200,000 grant to Otsego County from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The North Central State Trail borders a substantial section of the shoreline of Michigan's Mullett Lake . It also borders the Cheboygan River . The trail also passes directly past Historic Mill Creek State Park located 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Mackinaw City and Otsego Lake State Park 7 miles (11 km) south of Gaylord, and passes through

9222-488: The train to run into the rear of a Hagenbeck–Wallace Circus train that was stopped near Hammond, Indiana. The accident resulted in 86 deaths, with another 127 people injured. On February 27, 1921, the Michigan Central's 'Canadian' ran a red signal at Porter, Indiana, and entered a diamond crossing in front of the New York Central's 'Interstate Express'. The 'Canadian's locomotive hit the derailer, slid through

9328-415: The transit center at Michigan Avenue north to the state fairgrounds, or a 3.4-mile (5.5 km) line in the downtown area only. Suggestions to unify the two plans were made in late 2008, and the Detroit City Council approved the sale of $ 125 million in bonds on April 11, 2011, for the longer system. Through various approvals in 2011, and subsequent changes including a bus rapid transit system with

9434-414: The undeveloped Gete Mino Mshkiigan State Park south of Topinabee on Mullett Lake . Download coordinates as: Michigan Central Railroad The Michigan Central Railroad ( reporting mark MC ) was originally chartered in 1832 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan , and St. Joseph, Michigan . The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan , Indiana , and Illinois in

9540-530: The world's first four-way traffic light . The state signposted its highways in 1919, and Woodward Avenue was assigned the M-10 designation. The same year, two auto trail designations were applied to the avenue. The Theodore Roosevelt International Highway was created in February 1919, running from Detroit northward along Woodward Avenue. Later that year, the Dixie Highway was extended through Detroit to

9646-454: Was affiliated with the New York Central Railroad , operated passenger trains on this section of railroad from 1882 until the early 1960s, serving tourist locations within Michigan's Northland. North of Mackinaw City, train passengers and freight transferred onto the railroad car ferries operated by the Mackinac Transportation Company , a joint venture operated by the Michigan Central and two other railroads. On these ferries, railroad service

9752-543: Was an independent subsidiary of the New York Central System, passenger trains were staged from Illinois Central's Central Station (in Chicago) as a tenant. When MC operations were completely integrated into NYC in the 1950s, trains were re-deployed to NYC's LaSalle Street Station home, where other NYC trains such as the 20th Century Limited were staged. IC sued for breach of contract and won because

9858-563: Was approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO); the M-10 designation along Woodward was replaced with US 10 , a moniker that ran from Detroit to Seattle, Washington . Legal disputes over a plan to widen Woodward Avenue dating back to 1874 were resolved in 1932. Permission was needed from a majority of the landowners along Woodward Avenue to finalize the deal. John W. Chandler, general manager of

9964-475: Was because they had decided to extend the road all the way to Chicago. With this, the first crossing of the state of Michigan (Lower Peninsula) was completed. This involved passing through two other states and getting leave from two state legislatures to do so. To facilitate this process, they bought the Joliet and Northern Indiana Railroad in 1851. Thus they reached Michigan City, Indiana , by 1850 and finished

10070-495: Was built to replace a former station that had burned down. It served passenger trains until the early 1950s. Today, the station is home to the Ann Arbor Model Railroad Club, which hosts open houses the first Wednesday of each month. It also has some railroad memorabilia such as an old crossing signal and baggage cart. Michigan Central was the owner of Michigan Central Station in Detroit. Opened in 1913,

10176-559: Was created on November 6, 1998. The road was designated what is now called a Pure Michigan Byway by MDOT in 1999, and a National Scenic Byway by the FHWA National Scenic Byways Program on June 13, 2002, the only urban road at the time with that classification. It was later upgraded to All-American Road status on October 16, 2009; such roads have highly unique features and are significant enough to be tourist destinations unto themselves. In announcing

10282-549: Was extended to St. Ignace and onward points on Michigan's Upper Peninsula . When the Mackinac Bridge was opened in 1957, passengers and freight shifted to automobiles. Trains last operated on a regular basis in the 1980s as a spur line of the Detroit and Mackinac Railway ; the right-of-way then ceased to operate as a railroad line and became a trail. The North Central State Trail's northern end in Mackinaw City

10388-619: Was formed by investors from Syracuse, New York , earlier that year. Later, on September 18, 1886, a separate electrified line, the Highland Park Railway, was added that ran along Woodward Avenue through Highland Park. In mid-December 1893, the main streetcar line was electrified by the DCRC. In 1901, the various lines throughout the city were consolidated as the Detroit United Railway . Detroit took control of

10494-423: Was less common. Prior to the automobile, Michigan Central was mostly a carrier of natural resources. Michigan had extensive reserves of timber at the time, and the Michigan Central owned lines from east to west of the state and north to south, tapping all resources available. After the advent of the automobile as one of the most dominant forces of commerce, with Detroit at the epicenter, the Michigan Central became

10600-574: Was met with strong opposition from Detroit resident Stanley Christmas, who in turn, sued the city of Detroit to stop the demolition effort, citing the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 . The station shows up in the first part of the Godfrey Reggio movie Naqoyqatsi and is frequently used by Michael Bay in such films as The Island and Transformers . In May 2018, Ford Motor Company purchased

10706-420: Was originally planned in 1830 to provide freight service between Detroit and Chicago by train to St. Joseph and via boat service on to Chicago. The Detroit and St. Joseph Railroad was chartered in 1831 with a capital of $ 1,500,000. The railroad actually began construction on May 18, 1836, starting at "King's Corner" in Detroit, which was the name by which the southeast corner of Jefferson and Woodward Avenue

10812-584: Was part of the Theodore Roosevelt International Highway that connected Portland, Maine , with Portland, Oregon , through Ontario in Canada. It was also part of the Dixie Highway , which connected Michigan with Florida . Woodward Avenue was the location of the first mile (1.6 km) of concrete-paved roadway in the country. When Michigan created the State Trunkline Highway System in 1913,

10918-445: Was proposed at a cost of $ 280 million (equivalent to $ 3.86 billion in 2023 ). By 1929, plans were scaled back further in the face of tough local economic conditions; the plan submitted to voters included one line of 13.3 miles (21.4 km) that interconnected with the city's streetcar system by way of two 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) streetcar tunnels. The bond proposal failed by a 2.5:1 margin that year, killing any proposal for

11024-499: Was renamed the Central Railroad of Michigan . By 1840 the railroad was again out of money and had completed track only between Detroit and Dexter, Michigan . In 1846, the state sold the railroad to the newly incorporated Michigan Central corporation for $ 2,000,000. By this time the railroad had reached Kalamazoo, Michigan , a distance of 143.16 miles (230.39 km). The new private corporation had committed to complete

11130-447: Was then known. However, this is not the location of Michigan Central Station , which apparently replaced this building. The small private organization quickly ran into problems securing cheap land in the private market, and abandonment of the project was discussed. The City of Detroit invested $ 50,000 in the project. The State of Michigan bailed out the railroad in 1837 by purchasing it and investing $ 5,000,000. The now state-owned company

11236-582: Was truncated to Bay City in 1986, the Bus. US 10 portion of Woodward became Bus. US 24 . In the early 1980s, M-1 was truncated in downtown Detroit, as the Woodward Mall was designated in the area around Cadillac Square. At the end of 2000, MDOT proposed several highway transfers in Detroit. Some of these involved transferring city streets in the Campus Martius Park area under

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