One hundred years ago Michigan was in the midst of a dramatic transformation. While it was once a fur trading destination, the state was now at the forefront of the automotive and lumber industries. Here, you’ll see just some of the signs that Michigan would be on its way to becoming an industrial powerhouse, while it still maintained that sense of natural wonder.

  1. 32-42 Monroe Avenue, Detroit, 1915.

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  1. Here, shift at the Ford Motor Company assembly plant in Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910s.

Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

  1. Lansing City Hall, 1915.

Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

  1. Logging wheels, 1915.

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  1. Pictured here, hunters conserving food in the wilds of Northern Michigan.

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  1. This photo was taken during the 1915 Good Roads Convention in Grand Rapids.

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  1. Detroit Athletic Club, 1915.

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  1. Pictured here, log train unloading and one log splashing into the water, circa 1910.

Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

  1. Here, the loop at Orchard Beach in Manistee.

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  1. Pictured here, Woodward Avenue through Grand Circus Park in Detroit. Central United Methodist Church is on the right.

Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Quite an exciting time, huh? Just looking at these pics has us hungry to see more. Please, if you’ve got some old photos from this era floating around, we’d love it if you shared them.

Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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