Wanting to give our legs a break from the hills, we loaded Rollin up on the trailer and drove to the White Pine Trail in Reed City. It is called The Crossroads, and is where the Pere Marquette trail intersects with the White Pine, and is available for year round use, with restrictions of at least 4 inches of snow on the trail before it can be used by snowmobiles.
Reed City is the cross roads of MI where 2 major highways, US 10 , east and west, and US 131, north and south, intersect, but it was also where the Pere Marquette Pennsylvania Central Railroad went from Ludington to Midland, the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad ran from Rockford to Cadillac. These railroads transported vital supplies to the logging industry that once thrived in our area. vital to life in the north country of MI.
Reed City's legacy continues, with the Fred Meijer White Pine State Trail and the Pere Marquette State Trail intersecting at the reconstructed replica of the historic, downtown, Reed City, railroad depot. It is a beautiful building, with a community room, as well as restrooms, a covered pavilion and an outdoor fireplace. The town's pride is evident, in the building's care and use. Everytime we have been there, the community has some type of family gathering taking place. Today, bright yellow and blue balloons framed a 'Happy Birthday,' banner.
The White Pine trail system is the largest in our state, running 92 miles between Grand Rapids and Cadillac, MI. The Pere Marquette is 55 miles in length, crossing through Clare, Lake and Osceola counties. The trails are well used, year round, with a minimum 4 inch snow restriction in place, for snowmobiles.
It didn't take long to get the trike off the trailer, and we were riding in no time. The sun warmed our faces. We headed towards Big Rapids, expecting to see many other riders. To our surprise there were no Mom's and Dad's, followed by children, in blue or pink helmets, spreading across the trail. No cyclist's in matching jersey's and shorts, speeding by, and no roller blades, singing along the asphalt.
We stopped in the park at Paris, MI for a break. Paris has a fish hatchery that opened in 1881.
The area was selected as a site because of the abundant sources of water and the railroad connections. The hatchery was a major supplier of salmon and brown trout fingerlings. Fish in distinctive red cans were shipped in railroad baggage cars, throughout the state. In the mid 1930'a the WPA renovated and expanded the facility. It continued to operate until 1964, when the Department of Natural Resources closed it. The site was acquired by Mecosta County Park Commission in 1973, refurbished as a park, and reopened in 1976.
The work of the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp,) and the WPA (Works Progress Administration,) and it's impact on our country is a fascination to me. Our country was at it's lowest point, financially, when the WPA was introduced as part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. These programs were designed to put America back on it's feet, and get the economy moving again. It's original propose was to build and improve America's infrastructure, but it also funded arts history and culture in America. Out of work Americans, both men and women, found jobs through the WPA.
Sometimes the workers had to go far from home to live in camps to work. The initial appropriation for the WPA was 4.88 billion dollars from the Emergency Relief Fund. Over the years the WPA would employ 8.5 million Americans and spend 11 billion dollars. Although I tend to see what the they did for small town America and our parks system across the US, half of the workers were employed in New York City.
Wages varied from region to region and state to state. In the state of TN, a man working with a pick and shovel earned 18 cents an hour and was limited to an income of 26 dollars per month. While a similar man in PN had to work 30 hours to earn 94 dollars per month. Strong complaints about these practices, brought about adjustments in wages to better match the living costs in each state.
Nearly 9000 miles of sewer lines or storm drains were laid, by 1938 280,000 miles of streets and roads were repaired or paved. As of 1940, 4383 schools were built and repairs and additions done to over 30,000 others. More than 130 hospitals were constructed, with improvements made to 1670.
Our country would not be what it is today without the hard work of those who participated in WPA. The WPA , born in 1935, had a lifespan of 8 years, and a legacy that continues, to this day.
In addition to the fish ponds the area has a few buildings. I'm not sure what there purpose was.
Just beyond the fish hatchery, there are some camping places for both RV's and tents. In the summertime, smoke from campfires drifts across the park, and the sounds of children playing, fill the air. Across the street from that, is one of our favorite antique shops, filled gleaming wooden furniture, old enamel tea pots, silver ware, china, and other bric-brac, some of which now, resides, in our home.
Button was glad to get out of his condo carrier and had to sniff many blades of grass, before he found just the right spot to do his business. He wanted to explore a bit, but was sure he might miss crumbs from our granola bars, if he did.
Refreshed and ready to roll, we progressed south, the ride was blissfully uneventful. After riding next to it for quite some time, we crossed the Muskegon River. The sun sparkled on the water, than flowed around a sand bar island, and under the bridge.
It seemed like a good place to take a break. So peaceful to look out over the water, I missed seeing the green leaves add some trim to the scene.
Saw a pretty church in Roger's Heights. The steeple looked like a mix of Greek and Russian influence, to me. Churches, barns and old houses, they keep showing up in my blog....
The first sign of excitement was when we reached the end of the paved section of trail, and stopped at a convenience store. A cop had someone pulled over. There was an Arby's there, so we had a fish sandwich before turning back towards Reed City. The guys in Arby's were full of questions about"that thing," we were riding. I saw the officer, looking it over too.
Fueled up, we were ready to roll. On each ride, God gives us little gifts of his creation to enjoy. Today, it was ssmall white flowers blooming along the trail.
Pedaling on to Reed City, we were greeted by a headwind. Now, later in the day, cloudy skies made the wind feel colder. I stopped and added a layer, and my gloves, before riding on.
Soon Rollin went back on the trailer, Button in the car, and we all went home, tired, but happy.
We rode 27 miles today.
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