The Roadside Table

The Roadside Table is a Michigan historical marker in Saranac, Ionia County, dedicated 1964.

Ionia County · dedicated 1964 · Grand River east of Morrison Lake Rd., Saranac

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Here on old US-16 in Boston Township, Ionia County, the first picnic table along a highway right-of-way was placed in 1929 through the initiative of Allan Williams, county engineer. The table was built of salvage planks formerly used for guardrails. The idea immediately caught on and was adopted by the State Highway Department. The Ionia County Road Commission made the state’s tables until the work became too great. The roadside table became an emblem of Michigan’s hospitality, one which has been widely emulated by states the nation over.

TodayHistorical map

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USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection

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under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s

what this marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years here

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Marker data: Michigan History Center
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The Roadside Table

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