M-209 (Michigan highway)

Last updated

M-209.svg

M-209

Glen Haven Road
M-209 (Michigan highway)
M-209 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length0.543 mi [1]  (874 m)
Existed1920s [2] –June 5, 1995 [1]
Major junctions
South endM-109.svg M-109 near Glen Haven
North endCoast Guard Life Saving Station in Glen Haven
Location
Country United States
State Michigan
Counties Leelanau
Highway system
M-208 1926.svg M-208 M-211 rectangle.svg M-211

M-209 was a state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It was located in Leelanau County in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Until it was decommissioned, it was Michigan's shortest state highway. M-209 started at M-109 and went just over 12 mile (about 956 yards [874 m]) to Glen Haven. In 1995, M-209's designation was "abandoned", and the road was turned over to the jurisdiction of the Leelanau County Road Commission. [1]

Contents

Route description

The US Coast Guard Life Saving Station at Sleeping Bear Point, Glen Haven Sleeping Bear Point Life Saving Station.jpg
The US Coast Guard Life Saving Station at Sleeping Bear Point, Glen Haven

M-209 was the short connector route from M-109 to the Glen Haven unit of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore west of Glen Arbor. [3] The southern terminus of the highway was at the intersection with M-109 south of Glen Haven, a restored logging village on the shore of Lake Michigan on the Leelanau Peninsula. The roadway ran north from this intersection where M-109 made a 90–degree corner through the south and east legs of a four-way intersection with M-209 and Dune Valley Road. M-209 ran past such attractions as the restored General Store and Blacksmith Shop. Also located in Glen Haven is the former Glen Haven Canning Co. building. This building was first used as a warehouse and later as a cannery for cherries in the 1920s. It has since been restored as the Cannery Boathouse housing historic wooden boats used in the Manitou Passage between Glen Haven, Glen Arbor and the North and South Manitou islands. [4] The northern terminus of M-209 was located in front of the former US Coast Guard Life Saving Station, now restored as a maritime museum. [5] The museum is located at the intersection of Glen Haven Road and Sleeping Bear Dunes Road. At the time of decommissioning, M-209 was a two-lane, paved road.

The restored Glen Haven General Store Glen Haven General Store 2007.jpg
The restored Glen Haven General Store

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a United States National Lakeshore located on the "little finger" of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan in Leelanau and Benzie counties. The park covers a 35-mile (56 km) stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline, as well as North and South Manitou islands. [6] The park was authorized on October 21, 1970. [7]

History

From its inception in the 1920s, M-209 was Michigan's shortest highway. [2] It connected the small community of Glen Haven to M-109 just south of the community. Glen Haven was founded as a settlement called Sleeping Bearville with a sawmill [8] and an inn, the Sleeping Bear House, in 1857. [9] By 1881, there were 11 buildings in the community. The lifesaving station was built in 1901 and moved to its present location in 1931 before closing in 1941. [8]

Looking north along former M-209 in August 2011 Glen Haven Michigan Historic Village Looking north M-209.jpg
Looking north along former M-209 in August 2011

M-209 was first assumed as a state trunkline in the 1920s. [2] A newspaper article in 1957 noted that that M-209 provided access to Sleeping Bear Dune, the country's largest moving sand dune. The article also noted that if it wasn't for the tourists visiting, that thee dune would probably have swallowed up the roadway that was "so small the road maps don't even show it". [10] It would later serve the national lakeshore when the park was created on October 21, 1970. The Park Service purchased all of the village by the mid-1970s. The highway was turned over to Leelanau County control on June 5, 1995. [1] It is now known only as Glen Haven Road. [11] Since the transfer, M-212 in Cheboygan County is now the shortest highway in the state. [12] A 1967 newspaper article noted that Business Spur Interstate 375 had opened that year and took the title as shortest highway in the state, [13] although that highway is not been signed. [14]

Major intersections

The entire highway was in Glen Arbor Township, Leelanau County.

mi [1] kmDestinationsNotes
0.0000.000M-109.svg M-109  Empire, Glen Arbor
0.5430.874Coast Guard station access road
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leelanau County, Michigan</span> County in Michigan, United States

Leelanau County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 22,301. Since 2008, the county seat has been located within Suttons Bay Township, one mile east of the unincorporated village of Lake Leelanau. Before 2008, Leelanau County's seat was Leland. Leelanau County is included in the Traverse City Micropolitan Statistical Area of Northern Michigan. The largest settlement in Leelanau County by population is Greilickville, itself a suburb of Traverse City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empire Township, Michigan</span> Civil township in Michigan, United States

Empire Township is a civil township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 764 at the 2020 census. On the shores of Lake Michigan, Empire Township contains a substantial amount of land within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Arbor Township, Michigan</span> Civil township in Michigan, United States

Glen Arbor Township is a civil township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 757 at the 2020 census. However, the population of the town expands rapidly during the summer months as a result of it being a summer colony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore</span> Protected area

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a United States National Lakeshore located along the northwest coast of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan in Leelanau and Benzie counties near Empire, Michigan. The park covers a 35-mile-long (56 km) stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline, as well as North and South Manitou islands. This Northern Michigan park was established primarily because of its outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena. The lakeshore also contains many cultural features including the 1871 South Manitou Island Lighthouse, three former stations of the Coast Guard and an extensive rural historic farm district. In 2011, the area won the title of "The Most Beautiful Place in America" from Good Morning America. In 2014, a section of the park was named the Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness by the United States Congress.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leelanau Peninsula</span> Geological formation

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">M-22 (Michigan highway)</span> State highway in Michigan, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">M-204 (Michigan highway)</span> State highway in Leelanau County, Michigan, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">M-72 (Michigan highway)</span> State highway in Michigan, United States

M-72 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan, running from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan across the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. The highway connects M-22 in Empire with US Highway 23 (US 23) in Harrisville. It is one of only three Michigan state trunklines that cross the Lower Peninsula, shore to shore. In between, M-72 runs across Northern Michigan woodland, agricultural areas of the Leelanau Peninsula near Traverse City, and the Au Sable River watershed. The trunkline also provides access to Camp Grayling, a National Guard training facility near the city of the same name. Traffic levels along the highway vary from approximately 800 vehicles a day on the east end to over 32,000 vehicles near Traverse City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Arbor, Michigan</span> Census-designated place & unincorporated community in Michigan, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">M-109 (Michigan highway)</span> State highway in Leelanau County, Michigan, United States

M-109 is the designation of a state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan that runs between Empire and Glen Arbor. The highway is a loop connected to M-22 at both ends that allows tourists access to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive located on a section of sandy forest land between Lake Michigan and Glen Lake. The trunkline traverses an area named the "Most Beautiful Place in America" by Good Morning America, the morning show on ABC. The highway was designated by 1929 and fully paved in 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M-110 (Michigan highway)</span> Former state highway in Manistee County, Michigan, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">M-201 (Michigan highway)</span> State highway in Leelanau County, Michigan, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">M-116 (Michigan highway)</span> State highway in Mason County, Michigan, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Haven, Michigan</span> Unincorporated community in Michigan, United States

Glen Haven is a restored port village on the shore of Lake Michigan on the Leelanau Peninsula within the now Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Attractions include the Lake Michigan beach, a restored General Store and Blacksmith Shop. The unincorporated community is located in Glen Arbor Township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive</span> Scenic drive in Michigan

The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is a scenic route within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, in western Northern Michigan in the United States. The roadway, with its "scenic vistas and gentle curves", is located off state highway M-109 between Empire and Glen Arbor. It runs for 7.4 miles (11.9 km) through forest and dunes areas, providing access to scenic overlooks of the Lake Michigan shoreline and the surrounding park land. Interpretive markers along the roadway are keyed to the National Park Service's printed guide to the drive. Over 80,000 vehicles make the trip, in addition to bicyclists, hikers and skiers who use the road each year.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 State Administrative Board (February 20, 2007). "State Administrative Board Resolutions, 1940–Present". Lansing: State of Michigan. p. 45. OCLC   85834636 . Retrieved January 1, 2023 via Library of Michigan Digital Repository.
  2. 1 2 3 Baird, Thomas (January 31, 2006). "Early Modern Highways in Leelanau". Leelanau Post. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
  3. Michigan Department of Transportation (1995). Michigan Department of Transportation Map (Map). c. 1:918,720. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. § G8. OCLC   42778335, 32885070 . Retrieved October 17, 2019 via Michigan History Center.
  4. National Park Service (n.d.). "Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore". National Park Service. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
  5. National Park Service (n.d.). "Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: Maritime Museum". National Park Service. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
  6. Michigan Economic Development Corporation. "Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore". Pure Michigan . Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  7. United States Congress (October 21, 1970). "An Act to Establish in the State of Michigan the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and for Other Purposes". Pub. L.   91–479 . Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Weeks, George (2005). Sleeping Bear: Yesterday and Today (2nd ed.). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. p. 208. ISBN   0472030310. OCLC   1049112703.
  9. Romig, Walter (1986). Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 225. ISBN   9780814318386. OCLC   741733993.
  10. "Shortest Road in State Leads to Sleeping Bear". Battle Creek Enquirer . August 18, 1957. p. 4. Retrieved March 4, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  11. Google (February 15, 2008). "Glen Haven, MI" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
  12. Girard, Jojo (September 28, 2021). "The Long and Short of It: Five Unique Michigan Highways". Grand Rapids, Michigan: WFGR-FM. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  13. "US 23 and US 31 Longest Roads". The Homer Index. August 24, 1967. p. 5. Retrieved March 4, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  14. Michigan Department of Transportation (2020). Truck Operator's Map (Map). c. 1:221,760. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Detroit and Vicinity inset.
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