End of US highway 141 |
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1926-1928
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1928-1977
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1977-1981
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1981-present
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Summa
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Mileage: in 1989 AASHTO listed a figure of 176 miles for US 141. That closely matches our own 2020 measurement, which yielded 174.9 miles. Historically, when it went to Milwaukee, US 141 was approximately 282 miles long.
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US 41 connects Milwaukee and Green Bay, but it follows a somewhat indirect route in order to serve the populated areas along the Lake Winnebago shoreline (Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, and the Fox Cities). When the US routes were originally commissioned in 1926, US 141 functioned as a more direct alternative, running along the Lake Michigan shoreline and serving the cities of Sheboygan and Manitowoc:
c. 1927, Rand McNally
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Remarkably, a photo exists that was taken during the very brief timeframe when that intersection marked a US route endpoint:
c. 1928 (linked to source)
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That was posted for the benefit of drivers heading north on Monroe. That was northbound US 41, which continued to the left on Main. To the right on Main was the north beginning of US 141... however, Main has since been rerouted. This photo shows the original northern terminus of US 141, at what is now the corner of Bodart Street and Monroe (which is the cross street):
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Enslin, 2001
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Historically, Bodart was Main Street, and it ran straight through this intersection, right through where the building is now. Over the course of time, Main was moved one block north, although it still curves back to cross the Fox River directly behind this building. Originally US 41 came in from the left on Monroe, and then straight ahead along Main, so US 141 ended at that corner. But that was short-lived: already by 1928, US 141 was extended ahead along Main with US 41, and US 141 ultimately terminated at a point northeast of Covington.
US 141 originally continued south from Green Bay, roughly along the path of today's I-43, ending in Milwaukee until 1977. Reportedly around that time, Wisconsin started gradually removing US 141 signage as sections of I-43 were opened to traffic. They formalized this truncation with AASHTO at their June 1979 meeting:
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By 1981 Wisconsin had finished shortening US 141 to its current terminus. Since then, the south end of US 141 is not far from its original northern terminus: just outside Green Bay, at its interchange with I-43 near a community called Bellevue. This photo was looking north on I-43:
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Sanderson, Aug. 2005
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At the end of that offramp, the assembly shown here was posted:
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Sanderson, Aug. 2005
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Approaching from the south on County Hwy. MM, the beginning of US 141 was shown thus:
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Johnson, Apr. 2016
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Sanderson, Aug. 2005
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Sanderson, Aug. 2005
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Today's County Hwy. R was formerly southbound US 141, back when the route continued to Manitowoc and beyond. Now the designation only goes left; drivers taking that turn will soon see the first confirming marker:
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Sanderson, Aug. 2005
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Heading southbound on US 141, the "End" assembly shown here is posted after making the turn off from historic US 141 and onto the road that has an interchange with I-43:
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Sanderson, Aug. 2005
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Johnson, Apr. 2016
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Research and/or photo credits: Jody Aho; Jon Enslin; Peter Johnson; Jeff Morrison; Mike Roberson; James Schecter; Dale Sanderson; Michael Summa
Page originally created 2000;
last updated Aug. 23, 2022.
last updated Aug. 23, 2022.
