Old Bridges 1902-1937 - digital images

Photograph

-

Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society

BridgeWithCarsCa1930.jpg 653KB: Douglas The Town to Remember Chamber of Commerce
BridgeWithCarsCa1930.jpg 653KB

Douglas The Town to Remember Chamber of Commerce

Name/Title

Old Bridges 1902-1937 - digital images

Entry/Object ID

2023.10.27

Description

Digital images of the earthen causeway and swing bridge or draw bridge that once crossed the Kalamazoo River and connected Saugatuck and Douglas. This bridge was slightly further upriver than the present Blue Star Highway bridge that was built in 1937.

Photograph Details

Type of Photograph

Digital scan

Subject Person or Organization

Clipson Brewery, Bridge, Blue Star Highway 1936

Collection

Transportation: bridges, Buildings: Lost

Cataloged By

Winthers, Sally

Acquisition

Accession

2023.10

Acquisition Method

Found in Collection

Location

* Untyped Location

Digital data in CatalogIt

General Notes

Note

These image(s) were copied from the SDHC photo blog [or the Jack Sheridan drive if that was a superior version] in preparation for updating the SDHC website in 2023. The location of an original or printed version of these photos was unknown at the time of cataloging.

Note

https://sdhistoricalsociety.org/Newsletter/2011/nov11/nov11_newsletter.htm The Bridge and The Bridges by Jack Sheridan ... Depending on how you define bridges there have been a number of them between Saugatuck and Douglas. The first was located in Saugatuck where the chain ferry crosses now. The next was fifty yards north of where it is today and of course the present freeway bridge to the southeast. The photo was taken in the summer of 1936 and at that time this causeway was the biggest fill project in the whole State. The new bridge was under construction to the left and not visible in this photo. The bridge and causeway replaced the 1901 bridge that was actually two bridges. On the Saugatuck side and visible in this photo is a steel truss bridge. Small boats could pass beneath it but the water was probably shallow. Then there was a causeway of maybe a hundred yards leading to the main bridge which was a swing bridge over the deep channel. It was about seventy feet in length and pivoted on a piling in the middle of the channel. It was opened with a geared lever powered by an attendant who lived in a house next to the bridge. ...

Create Date

April 1, 2023

Update Date

March 30, 2024