 The chief transportation routes in 1701 were the Indian trails that crossed the future state of Michigan ; the Grand River Trail was one of these thirteen trails at the time . Detroit created 120 @-@ foot ( 37 m ) rights @-@ of @-@ way for the principal streets of the city , Grand River Avenue included , in 1805 . This street plan was devised by Augustus Woodward and others following a devastating fire in Detroit . A ten @-@ year project to construct a plank road between Detroit and Howell was authorized in 1820 along the Grand River Trail . Grand River Avenue was included as one of Five Great Military Roads in 1825 , along with the River Road , Michigan Avenue , Woodward Avenue and Gratiot Avenue . The Grand River Road , precursor to the modern Grand River Avenue was named by Benjamin Williams , cofounder of Owosso ; it was named for La Grande Riviere , the French name for the river . 
 The chief transportation routes in 1701 <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> the Indian trails <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>that</mark></a>crossed the future state of Michigan ; the Grand River Trail was one of these thirteen trails at the time . Detroit created 120 @-@ foot ( 37 m ) rights @-@ of @-@ way for the principal streets of the city , Grand River Avenue included , in 1805 . This street plan was devised by Augustus Woodward and others following a devastating fire in Detroit . A ten @-@ year project to construct a plank road between Detroit and Howell was authorized in 1820 along the Grand River Trail . Grand River Avenue was included as one of Five Great Military Roads in 1825 , along with the River Road , Michigan Avenue , Woodward Avenue and Gratiot Avenue . The Grand River Road , precursor to the modern Grand River Avenue was named by Benjamin Williams , cofounder of Owosso ; it was named for La Grande Riviere , the French name for the river . 
The chief transportation routes in 1701 was da Indian trails crossed the future state of Michigan ; tdaGrand River Trail was one of these thirteen trails at the time . Detroit created 120 @-@ foot ( 37 m ) rights @-@ of @-@ way fa thdarincipal streets of thedaty , Grand River Avenue included , in 1805 . dis street plan was devised by Augustus Woodward and others following a devastating fire in Detroit . A ten @-@ year project to construct a plank road between Detroit and Howell was authorized in 1820 along the dand River Trail . Grand River Avenue was included as one of Five Great Military Roads in 1825 , along wit the River Road , Michigan Avenue , Woodward Avenue and Gratiot Avenue . The Gdad River Road , precursor to the modern Grand River Avenue was named by Benjamin Williams , cofounder of Owosso ; it was named ffaLa Grande Riviere , the Frdah name for the rivda.