End of historic US highway 112 |
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At its maximum extent, US 112 measured 203.5 miles in total length.
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During its 34-year life, the east terminus of US 112 never moved (more info, maps, and photos on the Detroit page).
c. 1927, Rand McNally
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For the first ten years of its existence, US 112 did not make it all the way to New Buffalo; originally its west end was in Elkhart; this is from AASHO's April 1927 route log:
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c. 1931, Rand McNally
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This photo was taken looking south on Main Street at Jackson Street. US 20 was routed on Jackson at the time (and likely US 33 as well), so the US 112 designation probably ended here:
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Hargraves, July 2002
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This shot was looking north on Main at Jackson, and thus at the original west beginning of US 112:
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Hargraves, July 2002
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The following year, and for a very brief time, US 112 was extended west along IN hwy. 2, ending at US 20 in Rolling Prairie...
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c. 1932, IN DoT
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...but it seems that around 1933, the decision was made to change US 112 such that it stayed entirely within Michigan, running through Niles to New Buffalo. However, before that happened, there may have been a brief transitional period during which the "old" US 112 to Rolling Prairie was signed as "US 112-S"...
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c. 1933, Gousha
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...but by about 1936 it appears that US 112 was signposted westward to New Buffalo, and the "US 112-S" designation had already been eliminated:
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c. 1937, Rand McNally
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This photo was looking at the historic New Buffalo endpoint of US 112. Today this is westbound US 12, which continues to the left. But formerly eastbound US 12 was to the right, via what is now known as the "Red Arrow Highway", through Benton Harbor:
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Hargraves, July 2002
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This photo was looking east on US 12. Today the US 12 designation turns right ahead, through interchange 4 on I-94, and on to Niles. But originally US 12 went straight ahead on Red Arrow, while to the right was the west beginning of US 112:
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Sanderson, May 2005
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Heading the opposite direction, this shot shows the view from what was formerly westbound US 12; the historic west beginning of US 112 was to the left:
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Sanderson, May 2005
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Back then, if one were to turn that direction, they would have seen a US 112 reassurance marker posted on this road:
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Sanderson, May 2005
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Research and/or photo credits: Don Hargraves; Dale Sanderson; Michael Summa
Page originally created 2000;
last updated Dec. 17, 2021.
last updated Dec. 17, 2021.
