 Congress passed a law to build a military wagon road on March 3 , 1863 from Fort Wilkins to Houghton and then south to the state line . The road was laid out in 1864 following what is today M @-@ 26 between Copper Harbor and Phoenix , US 41 south to Houghton , M @-@ 26 south to Winona and Federal Forest Highway 16 ( FFH @-@ 16 ) to the state line . Wisconsin authorities ran the road along what is now Highway 29 between Green Bay and Shawano and Highway 55 north to the state line . Military Road would connect Fort Wilkins with Fort Howard near Green Bay . 
