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The Michigan Road was an ambitious infrastructure project in the early years of Indiana. Built in the 1830s and 1840s, the Michigan Road connected Madison to Michigan City by way of Indianapolis. Governor James B. Ray's treaty with the Pottawatomie allowed for the creation of a road from the Ohio River to Lake Michigan through Native American lands. Due to terrain difficulties, the planned road was adjusted to pass through South Bend before turning west towards Michigan City instead of a more gradual westward tilt. The road proved vital to early settlers journeying northward across the state.
Later developments to the road furthered the importance of the direct north-south route across Indiana. Funds to pave the road were secured with the passage of the 1836 Mammoth Internal Improvement Act, which provided funding for improvements to the road. Pavement improvements on the road were halted before final completion due to financial difficulties in the state, which had to transfer ownership to the county level to keep it public. A modern system of state highways now supports north-south travel across the state.
