With this slogan change, the plates were produced with galvanized steel in order to survive the Michigan winters. Water-Winter Wonderland remained on plates until 1982. Then it changed to WATER-WINTER WONDERLAND until 1967. Michigan started printing WATER WONDERLAND on license plates, proclaiming one of our greatest attractions. When the post-war era rang in and baby boomers flooded the economy, tourism also picked up. Photo Courtesy of Plate Shack Michigan Winter Wonderland License Plate In the early 30s, they also began using Vv on plates to honor our nation’s veterans. During this time, they also started issuing metal tabs to attach to their plates to avoid issuing new ones to conserve metal during the war. Michigan offered half-year registration to car owners until about 1946. When the Great Depression hit, many people could no longer afford to pay for their car registration. The job then went back to the prisons in 1920. Prisoners had the duty of making plates in 1918. Production became privatized in 1919. Then embossed steel plates replaced them. They were made out of heavy cast iron then sealed with a glossy porcelain finish. It wasn’t until 1910 that Michigan issued its first official license plates. Photo Courtesy of Leather License Plates Rare Michigan License Plates The same plate could be used as long as the car was registered. You could also order license making kits from such companies as Sears Roebuck. The car owner made their own plates out of a variety of materials, including leather or wood and even rubber. Plates were located on the front and the back of the car. The car also had to have a license plate, most of which featured the house number and the required abbreviation MICH. Each one had to be displayed on the dash or hung from the rear view. The government gave out the disc-like plates and featured the registration number. Eventually in 1905, the Michigan Secretary of State adopted the statewide vehicle registration. In 1903, Michigan began issuing license plates by each individual city. The city council enacted laws to register all motor vehicles. Let’s take a look at Michigan license plate history together… Photo Courtesy of Leather License Plates Michigan License Plate HistoryĪt the beginning of the 20th century, the auto industry was blooming in Detroit. These changes affected the state and the country starting way back in 1903. The evolution of Michigan’s license plates through the decades captures many social and economic changes. Something as simple as our license plates offer a glimpse into what happened in the world during its creation. Have you ever wondered how archeologists and historians seem to know even the smallest details about past civilizations and ancient communities that haven’t existed for centuries? Even the most basic elements in our lives give away details and clues to describe past generations.
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