End of historic US highway 112

Note: since I don't have access to a comprehensive collection of historical road atlases, much of the info on this page is based on the research of Robert Droz; click here to view his site. Research and photo credits: Don Hargraves. Additional photos: me

The east end of US 112 was in Detroit MI; you can view photos from there on this page.

US 112 didn't make it all the way to New Buffalo for the first ten years of its existence; originally its west end was in Elkhart IN. The photo below is looking south on Main Street at Jackson Street:

Hargraves, July 2002

US 20 was routed on Jackson at the time (and likely US 33 as well), so the US 112 designation probably would've ended here. The shot below is looking north on Main at Jackson, thus at the original west beginning of US 112:

Hargraves, July 2002

In 1933, the west terminus of US 112 was shifted to its junction with US 20 at Rolling Prairie IN. Don has studied how the roads there must have been configured in the 1930's; here's a map, based on his research:

Modern roads (courtesy of expedia.com) form the base; I've colored in the old corridors according to Don's theory. Following are his photos and quotes:

Hargraves, July 2002

Above: "Facing eastbound on old US 20, which would have continued to the left following the road. US 112 would have started heading east over the grass to where the divided highway goes off into the distance."

Hargraves, July 2002

Above: "This is looking eastbound on old Indiana 2, where it ended at old US 20 and old US 112. Eastbound US 20 would have been straight ahead [on what's now known as Oak Knoll Court]; westbound was to the left [on Wiley Road]; US 112 would have gone to the right [roughly along modern US 20]. When US 112 was cut back to Elkhart, Indiana 2 was extended to the right, an arrangement which continues to the present day at the intersection a half-mile west of here."

Hargraves, July 2002

Above: "This is over what I'm guessing would have been where 112 ran just before it ended at US 20 and Indiana 2. Westbound US 20 would have come in from the right [on Oak Knoll] and then curved straight ahead [on Wiley Road]. Indiana 2 shot off to the left. Notice how well-placed the L&L Restaurant (opened in 1927) would have been for travelers heading west on 20 or 112 in the thirties."

Hargraves, July 2002

Above: "Shot from further back. US 20 now runs to the left of the L&L; the area US 112 would have gone over is now grass. To the left is a roadside park."

At that park is the marker shown below, demonstrating how modern highways were often routed over historic trails that had been serving the same corridors long since:

Hargraves, July 2002

That's a lot of research on a terminus that lasted only about 3 years...

...because in 1936 the west end of US 112 was shifted to its final resting place in New Buffalo MI. The photo below is looking at what used to be the west end of US 112:

Hargraves, July 2002

Today that's westbound US 12, which continues to the left. But eastbound US 12 used to be to the right, via what is now known as the "Red Arrow Highway", through Benton Harbor. The photo below is looking east on US 12:

me, May 2005

Today the US 12 designation turns right ahead, through interchange 4 on I-94, and on to Niles. But US 12 originally went straight ahead on Red Arrow...

me, May 2005

...and to the right was the west beginning of US 112. Heading the opposite direction, the shot below shows the view from what used to be westbound US 12:

me, May 2005

The historic west beginning of US 112 was to the left. Back then, if you were to turn that way, it would've been a US 112 reassurance marker that was posted on this road:

me, May 2005

You can view photos of other endpoints of US 112 (and its short-lived little sidekick, US 112-S) on Don's US 112 page.