Agricultural Influences

During the early development along the highway, a settlement pattern emerged of small towns surrounded by fields and open land. The historic rhythm of this pattern remains very much in evidence today. Spaced at about fifteen mile intervals, small towns like Saline, Clinton, Jonesville, Allen, Quincy, Bronson, Sturgis, White Pigeon, and Niles lined up facing the highway that was responsible for their existence.

Towns grew as service areas to agricultural hinterlands and were usually located at the junction of the travel route or along a river where water power was plentiful for operating the saw and grist mills needed by the settlers. Several mills remain at these historic junctions along the route including the Atlas Mill in Clinton and the Pears Mill in Buchanan. The most prominent is the Schuyler Mill built in 1843 on the fall of the Saline River, in the then Village of Barnegat (now known as Saline). In a later period of the road's history, Henry Ford purchased the mill in 1935. Along with a dam to provide water power and several new buildings, Ford made major renovations to the mill. The mill was the centerpiece for his village industry located in Saline. The buildings and structures along both sides of the highway are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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