Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Michigan license plates have come long way

By Tom Greenwood / The Detroit News

I-75 The ramp from northbound I-75 to Square Lake Road is closed. Traffic is detoured via westbound M-59 to Woodward south to Square Lake. The ramp from southbound I-75 to Square Lake is closed at Opdyke. Through traffic should use westbound M-59 to Woodward and south to Square Lake. Eastbound Square Lake remains open. I-94 Intermittent single and double lane closures on I-94 between Chene and French roads from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Ramps still open at the Telegraph-I-94 interchange: eastbound I-94 to southbound U.S. 24, northbound Telegraph (U.S. 24) to eastbound I-94. Eastbound and westbound I-94 is restricted to two lanes from the Southfield Freeway (M-39) to Wyoming. East and westbound I-94 are sharing the eastbound side of the freeway from Wyoming to the Southfield Freeway. I-96 East and westbound express lanes are closed between the Southfield Freeway and Davison. Westbound I-96 is down to two lanes between Davison and Warren. Eastbound I-96 is down to one lane from the I-75 split to Porter. East and westbound I-96 ramps to Telegraph Road are closed until mid-November. U.S. 12 (Michigan Avenue) East and westbound Michigan are reduced to a single lane between I-94 interchange and Livernois until late November. Traffic over I-96 is shifted until late November. Telegraph (U.S. 24) Right lane of northbound Telegraph closed from Orchard Lake to Elizabeth Lake. M-1 (Woodward) Traffic shifted to one lane in both directions between Manchester and McNichols. M-10 (Lodge Freeway) One lane in each direction will be closed between Lahser Road and I-696 through November. M-39 (Southfield Freeway) Service drives are closed periodically weekdays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. between Plymouth Road and Grand River. The southbound Southfield ramp to eastbound I-96 is closed. Ford Road East and westbound Ford Road is reduced to two lanes between Telegraph and Inkster roads until early November. Rochester Road Work has started on the widening and reconstruction of the Tienken/Rochester roads intersection, in Rochester Hills. Expect intermittent lane closures at the intersection through the end of December. Average gas prices Here are Tuesday's averages in Metro Detroit: Regular $2.45 Midgrade $2.59 Premium $2.70 Source: AAA Michigan Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

Today, let us speak of the history of Michigan license plates.

Like most of you, I have always taken license plates for granted. After all, a license plate is a license plate is a license plate. Right?

Well, all of that changed after I read an interesting article by Greg Gibson, president of the 300-member Michigan License plate Collector's Association, one of the oldest plate collection clubs in the country.

"I just sort of stumbled onto collecting when I was a youngster and would hit the salvage yards for parts in order to keep my car going," said Gibson, 55. "I saw lots of old plates and thought they were pretty neat. I became interested in the historical aspects of the plates and their connection to the auto industry, to which we are all tied to here in Michigan. I started collecting and today I have about 3,500 plates from all over the country."

Here are some facts on the evolution of license plates in Michigan:

• The earliest recorded Michigan law requiring motor vehicle registration took effect in Detroit on Dec. 1, 1903. It mandated that a registration number be displayed on the vehicle. A $1 fee allowed vehicles to drive within the city.

• 1905: The first statewide vehicle registration begins and the registration fee jumps to $2. Vehicle owners receive a paper registration certificate and a numerically matching aluminum disc that attached to the car's dashboard.

Cars are also mandated to have a matching "plate" attached to the rear of the vehicle, with no requirements as to its material. Consequently, some plates are made of wood, metal, leather or are simply painted on the car.

"I have a 1905 leather plate in which two pieces of leather are sewn onto a metal frame," said Gibson, of Fenton. "It has aluminum house letters on it. It's my rarest Michigan plate, but my favorite Michigan plate is a 1910 porcelain plate with just two digits; 38."

• 1907: Annual car registration begins and requires that the car's registration be displayed on both the front and the back of the vehicle.

• 1910-15: Registration is now $3, for which motorists receive two plates made of porcelain. The plates bear the seal of Michigan and this marks the first time graphics are used on license plates anywhere in the U.S.

• 1915: The first plates made of cold rolled steel are produced. For the first time, registrations topped 99,999 so prefix letters (C and E only) were added to extend the number series.

• 1920-29: The Michigan state seal is dropped and the task of producing the plates is turned over to the state prison system. Registrations top 1 million for the first time.

• 1939: First limited personalized plates become available using up to three letters and numbers. Popular with amateur radio operators (who would register their call signs) and members of the Michigan National Guard who used MNG on their plates.

• 1940s: In an effort to save on metal for the war effort, the first metal date tabs are produced 1943.

• 1954: "Water Wonderland" appears on Michigan plates.

• 1960s: The "Water Wonderland" slogan changes to "Water-Winter Wonderland." The "Great Lake State" slogan also appears and many residents think it should say "Great Lakes State." The secretary of state office explains that it's not a mistake, but a nod to all of the state's lakes, great and small.

• 1970s: Michigan bicentennial plate released in 1976. In 1979, the infamous "black plate" is first issued. Many Michigan residents fleeing the state's crashed economy are identified by people in other states as the "black plate people."

Learn more about the collectors' club on the Web at www.mlpca.com.

Commuting You can reach Tom Greenwood at (313) 222-2023 or tgreenwood@detnews.com.