Edward C. Eckert (1902-1966)

Often called "The Father of Roadside Development" in Michigan, Eckert was a district forester, then the chief forester of the Department of State highways for 36 years (1930-1966). In that role, he led in development of one of the nation's finest systems of roadside parks, freeway rest areas and scenic turnouts serving more than 40 million travelers a year. By the select use of vegetation, he also established procedures and methods of erosion control on the roadsides and supervised development of a "living snow fence" of carefully selected and placed trees and shrubs for buffering blowing and drifting snow. Throughout his career, Eckert aggressively pursued a goal of a "complete highway", one not only economical, functional and safe, but beautiful as well, with full roadside accommodations for the traveler.