Historic US highway endpoints in Toledo, OH
Photo credits: Andy
Field; Don
Hargraves; Sean
Lyons; Alex
Nitzman
Additional research: Chris
Elbert
| Highway | Approx. time period |
|---|---|
| US 127 | 1926-1930 |
| US 223 | 1930-1987 |
| US 68 | 1933-1957 |
When the US routes were first commissioned in 1926, the south terminus of US 127 was in Toledo. From Somerset MI, US 127 followed what is now US 223 through Adrian to Riga. From there, it followed a diagonal route to Sylvania OH (a suburb of Toledo) and continued down into the city itself. But just four years later, US 127 was rerouted to go south from Somerset (as it does today), and its former route between Somerset and Toledo was given the US 223 designation. Then in 1933, US 68 was extended north to Toledo. All three of these routes ended at the same intersection: Monroe Street and Summit Street. This first photo is looking southeast on Monroe at Summit:
Hargraves, Aug. 2002
Summit has served as both US 24 and US 25. Monroe used to be US 20, as well as US 127 (and later US 223), but both of those designations ended at this intersection. After 1933, the north beginning of US 68 was to the right. Below we're looking the opposite direction (up Monroe from Summit):
Hargraves, Aug. 2002
That's looking at the historic south beginning of US 127 and US 223. Below we're looking northeast on Summit at Monroe:
Hargraves, Aug. 2002
That was the north end of US 68; the south beginning of US 127 and 223 was to the left. The view below is from the opposite direction on Summit:
Hargraves, Aug. 2002
US 127 and 223 began to the right on Monroe, and straight ahead was the historic north beginning of US 68.
Don reports that there was a period during which Monroe was changed to one-way northwestbound. Washington Street (one block ahead in the photo above) was its southeastbound counterpart. The photo below is from Washington at Summit:
Hargraves, 2002
That would've been the south end of US 223 when these streets were one-ways. (Incidentally, the trees in the distance mark the location of the Maumee River.)
Sometime around 1960, the US 223 designation was extended northeast on Summit, ending at its junction with I-280 (exit 10, which no longer exists). That probably remained the case until US 223 was changed to its current configuration in 1987. At that time, Summit was renumbered as OH hwy. 65. The "End" sign shown below used to be posted on northbound Summit at its interchange with I-280:
Lyons, July
2002
That same post may have once said "End US 223". The shot below was taken from northbound I-280:
Field/Nitzman,
Nov. 2004
At the time of that photo, the new I-280 bridge was still under construction. Now that it's complete, there is no longer this interchange providing direct access to Summit. But for a period of about 25 years, traffic exited here to the east beginning of US 223. US 223 still serves the Toledo area, although now it ends shy of downtown - you can get more info on my main US 223 page.