• Sunday-What'sUP November 12 - 04:40 am

Last month there was lots of interest in the picture of the south end of the Houghton-Hancock "Swing Bridge" (which was replaced with the "Lift Bridge" during the late 50's). Browsing through images from the Michigan Tech Archives I came across the top photo of the Swing Bridge open, with a boat about to pass through. And wouldn't you know... it's another visual treat from J.T. Reeder.

You may also recall seeing the bridge from the vantage point of the turnout on US-41 going up Quincy Hill. That one was taken a few years after the Reeder photo, and came from Don Kilpela:

They don't build them like that, anymore.

Interesting photos once again, Charlie.
A salute to all Veterans! Thank you!

Now if the Ace Hardware was on the other side, we would be in trouble!

The photo of the south end of the old bridge (above) was taken on April 22, 1953 by Michigan State Highway Department (now MDOT) photographer. There are at least two color movies that show traffic on the old bridge: "The Movable Bridge" by Jam Handy Productions, and "Keweenaw Crossing" which was produced by the state. There may even be a third out there. David Jaehnig was able to locate "Keweenaw Crossing" in 2001 and I obtained "The Movable Bridge" the same year. Fran Gariepy cleaned up both of these and the three of us donated copies to Michigan Tech Archives/Copper County Collections in Houghton.

I remember riding in my Dad's car over the old bridge many times as a kid, but it was the only bridge I've ever seen that had a "bend" in it. You couldn't look through the bridge on the Houghton side and see Hancock - and vice versa. From Houghton north to Hancock, the slight turn to the left began at the swing span and another slight shift to the left on the single Hancock truss over the railroad tracks.

Brian R Juntikka

This must be my weekend....(1)Earlier was the picture of BISHOP BARAGA statue, built by Jack Anderson and modeled and welded by my brother Art in Hubbell. (2)I sailed on the EDMUND FITZGERALD in 1958, her maiden season and today you mention (3)Jam Handy Corp in Detroit where my wife worked when we first met some 55 years ago.
Ed Chaput

Lest we forget....

Do a web search and wach and listen to Terry Kelly's "Pittance of Time" so appropriate today.

Osceola,

That IS a really moving movie. I watched it with my class last year
for Remembrance Day. There wasn't a dry eye in the room.

Love these pictures. I can barely remember the swing bridge. Looking back, it sure is cool looking!!

Any idea what the passenger ship is? It looks a lot like the South American, which used to visit once a week in the summer in the 40s & 50s. But judging by the freighter in the foreground, the picture is probably more like the 20s or 30s.

Wow. The mention of Jam Handy is interesting as my mother also worked there in the 50’s. And, my parents have this great sculpture that they commissioned from the place that made the Bishop Baraga statue to hang in their foyer. I believe it was originally to be made out of copper but it is actually made from the scraps from the statue. I just recently brought it to my house and need to hang it in my foyer. Eddyfitz – I wonder if your brother also welded the piece we have.

Bill Denning (Parpagayo):
"Any idea what the passenger ship is? It looks a lot like the South American, which used to visit once a week in the summer in the 40s & 50s. But judging by the freighter in the foreground, the picture is probably more like the 20s or 30s."

Now that's a good question; I'm surprised no-one else asked about that!

Not the South American. Maybe the Tionesta or Octarora? ( didn't spell check)

I believe that ship tied up at the dock in Houghton is the "South American".

Now that I think about it, didn't the South American have two smokestacks? Tionesta and Octorara sound right, as I remember my Dad mentioning seeing them call at Houghton while he was studying at Tech in the 30s.

Just did a little research, the Great Lakes Transit Corporation operated three passenger ships on the Upper and Lower Great Lakes. They were the Octorara, Tionesta, and Juniata.

They were all similar, but I'm not sure whether or not they were sister ships. If you're interested, take a look at this promotional brochure from the Great Lakes Transit Corporation:

http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime/images/gltc25i.htm

There are many interesting pictures in the brochure, and the very last picture shows one of the ships tied up at about the same location as the photo here on Pasty Cam. The caption reads "A million dollars of copper bars on the docks at Houghton".

Back in the late 40s / early 50s a maritime historian named Dana Thomas Bowen published three in-depth books about shipping on the Great Lakes, and these three ships are described in one or more of them. His books went into a lot of detail, and contained many photographs.

Although out of print for many years, you can sometimes find them at used book sellers. Try looking up "Dana Thomas Bowen" on Abebooks.com, which is a book search & ordering service that connects to thousands of book sellers all over the world.

The titles of Bowen's books are "Lore of the Lakes", "Memories of the Lakes", and "Shipwrecks of the Lakes". The latter related some really dramatic & heroic tales of survival, which I read when I was growing up.

If I remember correctly, one chapter described a passenger ship that was wrecked on Isle Royale late in the season in sub-freezing weather, and another chapter talked about a rescue performed by the Coast Guard lifeboats stationed at the West Entry of the Portage Canal.

Searching deep into my distant memory, I think that the steamer that wrecked on Isle Royale might have been the S.S. Algoma, and the west entry wreck might have been the Maplehurst.

Another chapter told the tale of an incredible rescue on Lake Erie. A freighter had sunk in shallow water during a terrific storm. Although the ship was on the bottom, the mast still protruded above water.

The sole survivor of the crew clung to the mast for something like 30 hours. With the storm still raging, the captain of another ship manuveured right next to the mast, and his crew grabbed the desperate sailor. His clothes were soaking wet and frozen, and his muscles were so tight that he couldn't move his arms, and the rescuers had to forcibly pry his grip loose from the mast.

Bill Denning (Parpagayo):
"Now that I think about it, didn't the South American have two smokestacks?"

Yep, sure did, from Past-E-Mail: Cam Notes - July 10, 2001:

Click → The South American

How is our little piece of heaven gotten to by the only bridge we have and without that bridge we are an island and if they want to create jobs and save lives build another bridge as what happens like the last time the lift bridge would not come down and even the state expert could not figure that one out so it could happen again and all I can say is I hope I am not on that ambulance headed to Marquette and be stuck on our island and we fit the definition of island to a Tee if it were not for the lift bridge so either build a bridge or have a car ferry on stand by or have a plane on standby ready for an emergency.