The Roadside Table
Posted by: 
S5280ft
N 42° 53.206 W 085° 12.712
16T E 646016 N 4749791
Well, the table is long gone, but the marker still stands. Locted on the south side of Grand River Avenue, just east of Morrison Lake Road. Surprisingly, there is limited parking available.
Waymark Code: WM1AZP
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 03/19/2007
Views: 44
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.
Historical Name: Allan Williams
Parking nearby?: yes
D/T ratings: 
website: [Web Link]
Registered Site #: State Site #253
Historical Date: Not listed
Description: Not listed
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