The freeway segment northwest of Wyoming Avenue to the county line was previously known as James Couzens Highway after the street it replaced. That street was named after the death of James J. Couzens. Couzens was a former Commissioner of Detroit's Department of Street Railways from 1913 through 1915, after which he served as Police Commissioner from 1916 until 1918. He was Mayor of Detroit from 1919 until 1922 and United States Senator from Michigan from 1922 until his death on October 22, 1936. During his years of public service, he is said not to have accepted a salary, giving it all to charity. After his death, Detroit renamed its section of Northwestern Highway after Couzens.