The ABCs of Lowell History is back for another round. This popular series explores a wide variety of topics in Lowell area history in weekly online articles and is written by volunteers and staff from the Lowell Area Historical Museum.
Z is for Zoom – First Municipal Local Roads
Michigan became a state in 1837, and by act of the Legislature in 1838, four townships, 5,6,7,8, north, range 9 west (Bowne, Lowell, Vergennes and Grattan, respectively) were organized as the township of Vergennes. The individual townships were laid out but couldn’t break off until they had the required number of families. The four townships began together, but by 1848, they were all separate and independent townships. So, the earliest records for the area are found as Vergennes Township records.
On March 18, 1839, the Commissioners of Highway for the township of Vergennes met and ordered five roads to be recorded. The elected Commissioners were Lucas Robinson and Phillip W. Fox. The task of the Commissioners was to prioritize and decide which of the trails, which were well used by the Odawa and the American settlers, were to be official roads.
The very first road laid out was called “The Grand River Road No. 1.” It started on the county line between Ionia and Kent on the east line of section 1 of today’s Lowell Township. The road angled west and south to the east bank of the Flat River. The road started again on the west bank of the Flat River at the south line of section 2. It then proceeded west to the township line. This road went on to become M-21, although originally as described here, it went down to what we know as Bowes Road before it began heading west along the Grand River.
The second road was titled “Flat River Road No. 2.” Later, additional “Flat River Road” sections would be added, with the number showing the sequence of when that road was added, for example, “Flat River Road No. 6.” The second road began at the junction of the Flat and Grand Rivers, on the west bank of the Flat River. The road traveled north to the “Ridge Road No. 5.” This route was closer to the river than today’s South Hudson, running north along Riverside Drive and Flat River Drive, to Vergennes Road.
The third road was the “North and South Road No. 3.” It began at Grand River Road No. 1, at the dividing line between Sections 3 & 4 of today’s Lowell Township. It ran north on the section line, ending at the intersection of Vergennes Township sections 33, 34, 27, and 28, at Ridge Road No. 5. This is today’s Alden Nash Ave from M-21 to Vergennes Road.
The fourth road, “Grand River Turnpike Road No. 4” is the only one of the five that didn’t connect with any of the other four roads. It began on the Kent and Ionia County line at the Southeast Corner of Section 13, in today’s Lowell Township. It then ran west on the section lines ending on the west line of Lowell township, at the corner of Section 18, dissecting the township.
The last road recorded on March 18, 1839, was the “Ridge Road No. 5.” This road began on the county line between the counties of Ionia and Kent, near the southeast corner of Vergennes Township Section 25. It ran north, west, then south to the Flat River. It began again on the southwest bank of the Flat, ran west along the south section line of section 26, and on to the western border of township. From the county line running east, this is today’s Montcalm Avenue, Flat River Drive and Vergennes Road.
Another round of road design and creation would come in May of 1839, and continue for years. Though the roads were important, there were other foundational things to be done. After these roads were recorded, the next order of business was to establish school districts.
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