History around the world has often had something to do with transportation in one form or another. If people couldn't move around we would have probably overloaded the earth in one place and thrown it out of balance long ago
Locally the first transportation was the native Americans moving about throughout the state and even the entire Midwest. Much of their movement was along the rivers and streams and is how Monroe (Frenchtown) ended up where it is in the first place.
The native Americans also followed established animal trails quite often and the European settlers followed the old native American trails. And today some of our main roads and highways follow those same trails.
Dixie highway north of Monroe is a perfect example. It was Hull's road to supply Detroit prior to the war of 1812. And it's why the battle of the River Raisin happened where it did. Hull merely followed and widened and improved a former 'indian' trail which had undoubtedly been an animal migration route along the lakeshore.
South of Monroe Hull's trail ran off toward Lambertville and then straight south to Maumee. There's lots of history from about the same time that involves Hull and leading up to the war of 1812. It's the way most of the Kentucky soldiers got to Monroe in the first place.
There was also an old federal road that is basically where North Custer is now... ran all the way to Ann Arbor. Part of it was a turnpike toll road. There were stagecoaches and little hotel stops all along it.
A little farther north in Michigan we still have I-96 going from north of Detroit to Lansing and it follows Grand River road which was another native American trail...
I could go on and on, but have to get outside and enjoy some of this sunshine!
Hopefully, we've got enough history seeds planted to reap some more info
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Topic: Monroe County History: History in general, my observations. (Read 748 times)
