▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁stat ute ▁naming ▁the ▁Col gro ve ▁Highway , ▁but ▁the ▁bill ▁ultimately ▁f aded , ▁sp aring ▁the ▁name . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁the ▁auto ▁tra ils , ▁it ▁was ▁common ▁for ▁high ways ▁to ▁be ▁named ▁rather ▁than ▁number ed . ▁An ▁attempt ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁trail ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Lincoln ▁Highway ▁failed ▁in ▁Michigan . ▁School ▁children ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁from ▁Anderson , ▁Indiana , ▁wanted ▁to ▁honor ▁James ▁Whit comb ▁R iley , ▁the ▁poet ▁from ▁the ▁Ho os ier ▁State , ▁with ▁a ▁highway ▁that ▁connected ▁the ▁country ' s ▁summer ▁and ▁winter ▁resort ▁areas . ▁The ▁Michigan ▁segment ▁of ▁the ▁road ▁running ▁through ▁the ▁state ▁was ▁to ▁follow ▁what ▁would ▁later ▁be ▁US   1 3 1 . ▁The ▁James ▁Whit comb ▁R iley ▁Association ▁promoted ▁the ▁highway ▁by ▁painting ▁white ▁bands ▁on ▁tele phone ▁pol es ▁with ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁road ▁in ▁orange ▁letters ▁during ▁that ▁August ▁and ▁September . ▁However , ▁the ▁road ▁in ▁question ▁was ▁already ▁named ▁the ▁Mack ina w ▁Tra il , ▁and ▁the ▁association ▁did ▁not ▁secure ▁permission ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁highway ▁commission er , ▁as ▁was ▁required ▁by ▁a ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁Michigan ▁law . ▁The ▁law ▁made ▁it ▁illegal ▁for ▁any ▁" associ ation ▁to ▁del ine ate ▁or ▁mark ▁any ▁other ▁routes ▁or ▁tra ils ▁through ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Michigan ... ▁unless ▁the ▁same ▁shall ▁be ▁approved ▁in ▁writing ▁by ▁the ▁State ▁Highway ▁Commission er