M-107 (Michigan highway)
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| M-107 Former state trunkline |
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| Maintained by Ontonagon County Road Commission | |||||||||
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| Length: | 9.576 mi[1] (15.41 km) | ||||||||
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| Existed: | 1935[3] – 2008-06-04[2] | ||||||||
| West end: | Lake of the Clouds Overlook in the Porcupine Mountains State Park | ||||||||
| East end: |  M-64 in Silver City |
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| Counties: | Ontonagon | ||||||||
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M-107 was an east–west state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Running for 9.576 miles (15.411 km), it connected Lake of the Clouds and the rest of the Porcupine Mountains State Park to M-64 in Silver City. The roadway parallels the Lake Superior shoreline in Ontonagon County.
The roadway was built in 1935 and named to honor the 107th Engineer Combat Battalion. The Michigan Legislature named it the "107th Engineer Memorial Road " in 2001. M-107 was transferred from the control of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to the Ontonagon County Road Commission on 2008-06-04. This transfer decommissioned the M-107 designation and removed it from the state trunkline system.
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[edit] Route description
M-107 existed to connect the Porcupine Mountains State Park with the rest of the Michigan state trunkline highway system, running parallel to the Lake Superior shoreline.. It began at an intersection with M-64 in Silver City. From there, M-107 ran west into the Porcupine Mountains, crossing the Little Iron River and passing the PMSP Winter Sports Complex. The western end was at the Lake of the Clouds overlook. [4]
[edit] Lake of the Clouds
Lake of the Clouds is a lake located in Ontonagon County within the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park at .[5] The lake is situated in a valley between two ridges in the Porcupine Mountains.[6] Surrounded by virgin wilderness and stunning vistas, the lake is a popular destination for hikers, campers, and fishermen. The lake is a prominent feature of the park, and can be viewed at the Lake of the Clouds Overlook at the west terminus of former M-107.[7]
[edit] Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Porcupine Mountains State Park was established in 1944 to protect the last large stand of old-growth forest remaining in Michigan.[8][9] Then in 1972, Michigan passed the Wilderness and Natural areas Act. This act gave the park the new designation of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The facilities provided by the park include an extensive network of backcountry trails for hiking and backpacking, rustic trailside cabins, modern campgrounds, swimming and boating areas, and various interpretive programs led by park rangers. The North Country Trail passes through the park. In the winter, a ski area also operates within the park.[10] Because of the copper mining history of the park, it is a cooperating unit of Keweenaw National Historical Park.[11]
[edit] History
The routing of M-107 had been largely unchanged since designation. The designation was created in 1935 as a tribute to the 107th Engineer Combat Battalion. The highway was dedicated on 1954-06-13 to the battalion at a ceremony by Highway Commissioner Charles M. Ziegler. This ceremony was attended by approximately 1,200 people at a highway turnout located along the roadway 4 miles (6 km) west of Silver City. A 3-short-ton (2.7 t/2.7 LT) boulder was placed on a concrete pedestal with a bronze inscription plaque at the location of the ceremony.[3] The Michigan Legislature named M-107 the "107th Engineer Memorial Road" in 2001.[12]
On 2008-06-04, a transfer agreement was reached transferring the jursidiction of M-107 from MDOT to the Ontonagon County Road Commission. This transfer marked the end of the M-107 designation as the roadway became a county primary road.[2]
[edit] Major intersections
The following table shows the major intersections along M-107.
| County | Location | Mile[1] | Roads | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontonagon | Porcupine Mountains State Park | 0.000 | Lake of the Clouds Overlook | |
| Silver City | 9.576 | M-64 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Control Section/Physical Reference Atlas. Michigan Department of Transportation (2001). Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
- ^ a b Effective date of transfer: June 4, 2008
Roadway segment transferred from MDOT to the Ontonagon County Road Commission, becoming a County Primary road:
M-107, from its western terminus at the Lake of the Clouds Overlook contact station in the Porcupine Mountains State Park, easterly to the centerline of M-64, a distance of 9.58 miles, in control section 66061, comprising the entirety of M-107. (source Michigan Department of Transportation) - ^ a b Barnett Ph.D., LeRoy (2004). A Drive Down Memory Lane: The Named State and Federal Highways of Michigan. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press, p. 166. ISBN 1886167249. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Google Maps. M-64 & M-107, Ontonagon, MI 49953 to Lake of the Clouds [map]. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ 623493 Feature Detail Report. Geographic Names Information Service. U.S. Geological Survey (1980-04-14). Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ Google Maps. Lake of the Clouds [map]. Cartography by NAVTEQ Inc. (2008) Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ Hunt, Mary and Hunt, Don (2007). "Porcupine Mountains State Park — Lake of the Clouds Overlook", Hunt's Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Albion, MI: Midwestern Guides. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ United States - Porcupine Mountain Wilderness. World Commission on Protected Areas. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ "Saving the Porcupine Mountains-again and again" (October 2002). Michigan Environmental Report 20 (5). Lansing, MI: Michigan Environmental Council.
- ^ Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park Detail. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Keweenaw Heritage Sites. Keweenaw National Historical Park. National Park Service (2008-04-03). Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Michigan Legislature (2001-10-26). Michigan Memorial Highway Act (PA 142 of 2001). Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
