ikes ▁were ▁still ▁in ▁operation ; ▁many ▁companies ▁that ▁received ▁a ▁char ter ▁never ▁built ▁their ▁specified ▁road ways . ▁The ▁remaining ▁pl ank ▁roads ▁were ▁turned ▁over ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁or ▁purchased ▁by ▁railway ▁companies ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁state - m aint ained ▁highway ▁along ▁the ▁path ▁of ▁US   1 3 1 ▁was ▁M - 1 3 , ▁a ▁design ation ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁road ▁by ▁July ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁US   1 3 1 ▁deb uted ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁initial ▁U . S . ▁Highway ▁System ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁although ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁it ▁was ▁shown ▁on ▁maps ▁from ▁the ▁Michigan – Ind iana ▁state ▁line ▁north ▁to ▁the ▁small ▁Northern ▁Michigan ▁community ▁of ▁Ac me ▁in ▁Grand ▁Tra verse ▁County . ▁The ▁northern most ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁highway ▁between ▁F ife ▁Lake ▁and ▁Ac me ▁was ▁not ▁sign post ed ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁and ▁the ▁design ation ▁ended ▁instead ▁at ▁F ife ▁Lake , ▁about ▁ ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁line . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁Michigan ▁State ▁Highway ▁Department ▁( MS HD ) ▁red es ign ated ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁M - 1 3 , ▁between ▁F ife ▁Lake ▁and ▁Pet os key , ▁as ▁M - 1 3 1 . ▁Public ▁Act ▁ 1 3 1 ▁of ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁allowed ▁the ▁M SH D ▁to ▁take