“All that now remains of Michigan Way are the crumbling foundations and overgrown vegetation of what was once a vibrant community”, writes Barry Henderson in his affection six volume tribute to Little America. Situated on the south-side of the valley on the Efford border with Eggbuckland, this little gathering of 173 prefab bungalows stretched from it furthest western point at Michigan Way to the top of the estate which was reasonably flat terrain.”
The nickname “Little America” came from the fact that American military were camped nearby preparing for the 1944 Normandy Invasion, the very year these “temporary” homes started to arrive and so American state names were used for street names housing 107 American designed prefabs and 66 English style.
The name Michigan comes from an Indian word “Michsawgyegan” meaning “the Lake Country” – the state, discovered in 1610 (French until 1783, British then until 1796 and American since) is bounded on the north by Lake Superior, on the east by Lakes Huron, St Clair and Erie and on the west by Wisconsin and Lake Michigan.
