The first state trunkline highway designated along the path of the modern US 2 was M ‑ 12 , a designation that was in use by July 1 , 1919 , between Ironwood and Sault Ste . Marie . The first roadside park in the country was created by Herbert Larson near what is now US 2 near Iron River in 1919 – 20 , although other sources state that the first was a picnic table alongside US 16 ( Grand River Avenue ) in 1929 south of Saranac . When the US Highway System was created on November 11 , 1926 , US 2 partially replaced M @-@ 12 . Between Crystal Falls and Iron Mountain , US 2 was routed through Florence , Wisconsin . The former routing of M ‑ 12 from Crystal Falls to Sagola became a new M ‑ 69 when the former M ‑ 69 became US 102 ( now US 141 ) . M ‑ 12 from Sagola south to Iron Mountain was made a part of an extended M ‑ 45 , which is now M ‑ 95 . By the next year , M ‑ 48 was added along US 2 from Rexton to Garnet as part of a larger extension .