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A vintage postcard of the Earle Monument in Cass City pays tribute to Horatio Earle, the man who sparked Michigan’s paved highway movement. His vision changed how rural communities connected to the world.
A weathered real photo postcard captures a quiet but significant site near Cass City, Michigan—the Earle Monument in Cass City, dedicated August 21, 1930. A Model T-style touring car sits parked next to the stone marker, symbolizing the very progress the monument was built to honor. The plaque commemorates Horatio S. Earle, Michigan’s first Highway Commissioner and one of the nation’s earliest advocates for hard-surfaced roads.
Earle’s efforts laid the foundation for Michigan’s paved highway system and ultimately influenced national infrastructure policy. The site, marked by a simple yet dignified concrete and stone memorial, was chosen because it represents the rural beginnings of a vision that connected farms to towns and towns to cities. According to the Almont Historical Society, the 1930 dedication drew government officials and road builders from across the state, recognizing Earle’s enduring impact on Michigan’s economy and mobility. Today, the postcard stands as a snapshot of that celebration of vision and perseverance on the open road, highlighting the legacy of the Earle Monument in Cass City.
Source
“Earle Monument Cass City Mich”. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/t/tinder/x-58629/tinder-rppc-117257. In the digital collection David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography. William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. April 24, 2025.
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