Paving the Way to Progress

US-12 developed from the Sauk Trail, a much earlier series of Native American trails, and eventually became the primary route linking Detroit and Chicago. Early photographs of US-12 through Sturgis taken in the late 19th Century show a broad dirt thoroughfare lined with storefronts and traversed by many horses, wagons, and buggies. By the early 20th Century, US-12 was paved with brick, which was the best and longest-lasting paving material of the period. The brick street was a symbol of Sturgis' prosperity and progress.

Sturgis, Michigan · United States