Ripley and Jefferson counties straight to Napoleon, and from there straight through Shelby County to Indianapolis. It proved to be the preferred route to Indianapolis for 34 separate counties, even through the road went through only 14 counties. In 1836, the Indiana General Assembly passed the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act, which provided funds to pave the entire length of the road. However, the economic difficulties brought on by overspending and the Panic of 1837 caused the state to enter partial bankruptcy before the entire length could be paved. The situation forced Indiana to give control of the road to the individual counties as part of a plan to avoid losing it to the state's creditors. Today State Road 29, originally much longer, followed the route from Madison to Bryantsburg, and from Napoleon in the south to Logansport in the north. State Road 25 followed the original route to Rochester, and U.S. Route 31 followed the original route from Rochester to South Bend. State Road 2 and U.S. Route 20 follow the original road from South Bend to Michigan City. The later U.S. Route 421 replaced Indiana State Road 29 from Madison to near Boyleston. The original route for US 421 was altered when Interstate 465 was constructed. A more "truck friendly" route was also built from Madison to North Madison. The original US 31 has been bypassed in several locations, most notably, in terms of the Michigan Road, from Rochester to north of Plymouth. SR 29 from the south into Logansport has been decommissioned, as has the entire route (that which remains) from the junction of I-74 and US 421 north of Greensburg to the junction of I-465 and US 421 on the northwest side of Indianapolis. In Indianapolis, a few remnants of the road still remain. A tollhouse stands just north of the White River. It was erected by the Augusta Gravel Road Company to recoup its costs in repairing the road. A monument marking the intersection of the Michigan Road and the National Road sits at the corner of Washington Street and Southeastern Avenue near downtown Indianapolis. The monument was relocated slightly as part of the changes to Interstate 65 exits in 2008. The road received a State Byway Designation in 2011. See also Buffalo Trace (road) Michigan Avenue or the Chicago Road, an early road connecting Detroit and Chicago Sycamore Row (road) References External links Historic trails