Indiana Byways
Historic Michigan Road
The Michigan Road was probably the most important transportation route in the fledgling state of Indiana. Being the first road commissioned by the state legisltature in 1826, the road became a key thoroughfare in opening the state to settlement north of Indianapolis. The road was surveyed in 1829 and constructed through the early 1830s. The road established ports at each end of the state by connecting the then-largest city, Madison on the Ohio River, to a new port named Michigan City via the new state capital at Indianapolis. It was used by the pioneer, as a parth to freedom by the runaway slave, and as a trial down which the Native American was removed from their lands. The Historic Michigan Road was designated a byway in 2011.
Michigan City Lighthouse
1 Washington Street, Michigan City, IN 46360
Built in 1858 by the U.S. Government, the lighthouse provided a beacon that could be seen 15 miles from shore but now houses a museum at the edge of Washington Park & Zoo Historic District near the terminus of the Michigan Road.
Old Republic
304 E. Michigan St., New Carlisle, IN 46552
The "Old Republic", now a museum and bed and breakfast, was built in 1860 for the Jeremiah Service family who were bankers and merchants of New Carlise.
Argos Public Library
142 N. Michigan St., Argos, IN 46501
The Argos Library, which features a small historical collection of this Michigan Road town, is housed downtown in the former Schoonover Dry Goods, c. 1870.
Fulton County Chamber of Commerce
822 Main St., Rochester, IN 46975
The Fulton County Chamber of Commerce is housed on the west side of the historic courthouse square which features an impressive 1895 courthouse of Indiana limestone and carved lions.
Iron Horse Depot
421 4th St., Logansport, IN 46947
Located on the grounds of the former Pennsylvania Railroad Depot, this c. 1885 depot was relocated from the Vandalia line and restored as a museum and offices for Logan's Landing with access to the city's river walk.
Beck's Restaurant
709 S. Michigan St., Burlington, IN 46915
Beck's Restaurant is an important fixture in this small Michigan Road town that was laid out in 1828 by David Stipp, a year prior to the road's survey. Beck's second floor has an old basketball court used by Burlington High School until 1929.
Kirklin Public Library
115 N. Main St., Kirklin, IN 46050
Kirklin's Carnegie Library was constructed with a $7500 grant from the Carnegie Foundation in 1915, though the library traces its roots to 1913 and a women's group known as the Double Six Club.
Country Market
795 U.S. 421, Zionsville, IN 46077
The market and lunch room is on the outskirts of Zionsville along the old Michigan Road and features a unique setting for antiques, vintage goods, a bakery and restaurant. "Pumpkinfest" runs every weekend in October.
Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center
450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis, IN 46202
Established in 1830, the Indiana Historical Society is the oldest such organization west of the Allegheny Mountains and today is housed in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center located in the Canal and White River State Park Cultural District.
Shelby County Tourism Office
501 N. Harrison St., Shelbyville, IN 46176
Shelby County Tourism is located in the historic Porter Bath House, built for the public in 1930 by the owners of hte Porter Mirror and Glass Company in honor of their son, William Porter.
Magnolia Mercantile
128 N. Franklin St., Greensburg, IN 47240
Magnolia Mercantile is a shop that features antiques, vintage primitivies and shabby chic decore.
Osgood Grub Company
406 N. Buckeye, Osgood, IN 47037
This fine eatery is located in a relatively new Michigan Road town, established in 1856 by George Cochran on the newly established Ohio and Mississippi Railroad and named for its chief engineer, A. L. Osgood.
Madison-Jefferson County Visitors Bureau
601 W. 1st St., Madison, IN 47250
Located near the beginning of the Michigan Road in downtown Madison, the Madison-Jefferson County Visitors Center is west of the historic Lanier Mansion, built in 1844 by a leading Indiana merchant and used as a house museum by the state since 1925.