A section of Woodward Avenue in Detroit marks America's first mile-long road made of concrete. There were shorter concrete roads that existed before 1909, but this was the first mile-long stretch which would be a first for not only the area, but the nation.
The year was 1909, and it was a big year in Detroit. Ty Cobb led the Detroit Tigers to a League Pennant at Bennett Park, Henry Ford introduced the Model T and J.L. Hudson was scouting out a location at Woodward and Farmer for his department store’s new location.
Also that year, the Wayne County Road Commission introduced the world to a new kind of road: Concrete. The only place it could be found that year was Woodward Avenue between Six and Seven Mile Roads in Greenfield Township, which is now northwest Detroit.
Work on the cement pavement, 1909
From far and near road builders came to see how concrete stood up under the heavy traffic of that period. The success of this experiment sped-up the development of modern automobile roads and highways. The initial cost was $13,537.00, including $1,000 in state aid. A few years later, the road would be replaced in 1922 by a broad thoroughfare.
Roads up to that point – if they were paved at all – had been built with brick, cobblestone, or a material called macadam, which was not much more than stones sprayed with a tar to form some kind of wear resistant surface. Unfortunately, brick and cobblestone were uneven and labor intensive, while macadam didn’t last long.
When the cement roadway was completed, it was just 18 feet wide.
This historic milestone was very much the result of decades of tireless work, often led by bicyclists such as Horatio “Good Roads” Earle and Edward Hines.
Hines, former chief consul for the League of American Wheelmen Michigan Division was a Wayne County road commissioner (along with Cass Benton and Henry Ford.) He helped oversee this project. Back in 1893, he helped create legislation that enabled county road commissions.
The Completed Pavement (photo circa 1920)
Earle followed Hines as Chief Consul of the Wheelmen before becoming a state senator and our first state highway commissioner. He founded both MDOT and the American Road Builders Association. The National Cement Association called Earle the “Father of the Concrete Roads of the World.”
For this Woodward paving project, Earle helped secure Wayne County’s bond and completed the approval inspection on June 21, 1909.
So, if you go for a ride today along this historic stretch of road, make sure you thank Mr. Earle and Mr. Hines for the smooth ride beneath your tires.
And here’s an Earlism to consider: “One anvil outlasts hundreds of hammers. If you are anvil-like, a little hammering will not hurt you.”
The Historical Marker commemorating the event
A Waymarking Entry is found here:
WM1D78_First_Mile_of_Concrete_Highway_Woodward_Avenue_M_1
This is one of two caches that was placed to commemorate this piece of history. One for Southbound traffic, and one for Northbound traffic.
BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS