The Five Lives of the Main Street Bridge, Part One of Five

Editors Note: The Manchester Mirror is excited to announce that Ray Berg has agreed to join us as our local history writer! Mr. Berg’s precisely researched and eminently readable historical articles will, we hope, be a regular feature of the mirror. Because of their length and detail, we have decided to serialize them. This first piece has been divided into five parts and will be published over five weeks, so check back every week!

As we approach the end of 2013, residents and visitors to Manchester notice the blockade across half of the downtown Main Street bridge, crossing over the River Raisin and the Manchester Mill Pond dam. This closure is caused by age-related deterioration of the bridge structural steel and concrete on the north side, and concern about further failure due to vehicle loads and the reduced safety of the bridge. The road closure has thus restricted traffic flow, limited which type of vehicles can cross, and removed several parking spaces important for downtown businesses.

Bridge engineering and reconstruction will commence now that the Village has received a grant from the State of Michigan MDOT Local Bridge Program for $ 2.974 million. This will involve a total replacement of the bridge. Reconstruction may occur as early as January-June 2015 pending final discussion with the state on the funding schedule.

The Main Street Bridge has existed for 180 years, since the founding of the village. With this new project, it is timely to look back at the history of the Main Street, or “Exchange Place”, Bridge in its various forms over these years. Five different variations of the bridge have existed, with their respective lives determined by the type of bridge materials and construction methods matched to the changing technologies of the vehicles and loads crossing over it. Generally, a lifetime of 30-50 years seems to be the norm for the different methods involved.

Bridge #1 – The 1833 Pole and Pile Bridge

The original bridge across the river was constructed concurrent with the dam, millrace flume and grist mill commissioned by John Gilbert in 1833. The bridge used a wooden log pole design involving stiles and vertical piles reinforced at their bases with rocks, with horizontal cross member supports. It spanned the river/millpond at a level about 10-12 feet below where the current road deck lies. The original road grades on either side of the bridge were steeper than today, and the resulting bridge length much shorter. The decking consisted of nailed planks, and overall the bridge was referred to at the time as a “substantial and safe viaduct”. The bridge constructor is not known, but is presumed to be the same crew which constructed the dam and mill. The bridge shows on the 1833 Village of Manchester survey plat map commissioned by Gilbert and completed by Hiram Burnham.

Since Manchester did not have a local newspaper until 1867, contemporary records are sketchy concerning this original bridge. It is certain that frequent repairs to both piles and decking were made. The 1848 Manchester Township minutes discuss the raising of funds by taxes for bridge maintenance. The steep approach from the Clinton Street side led to dangerous conditions in icy weather. Wagons would slide out of control. When the river and millpond level were high, in early spring or after heavy rains, the water level was reported to come up to the bridge planking and soak through onto the surface, creating a mud slough for wagons and people to get through.

The clearest photograph of this bridge is shown in Figure 1, which dates to 1868. Certainly several repairs of the bridge and support structure occurred between 1833 and 1876, but details are not recorded.

Figure 1 – View of Original Bridge, Circa 1868

On April 8, 1875, Mat Blosser reported in the Manchester Enterprise: “Our citizens were startled on Friday forenoon by the rushing noise of the water at the dam, and many hastened to the bridge to see what was up, when all at once the dam gave way and the water went rushing down the stream, bearing upon its bosom large cakes of ice, timbers, flumewood, etc. The pressure was so great upon the bridge that it was feared that it too would be lost, but it withstood the pressure and came out safe, only in a very dilapidated condition.” On June 3, Blosser wrote a lengthy editorial on the need to repair the bridge, categorizing it as very dilapidated and unsafe for people and teams to travel over. He criticized those calling for minimal repairs, and called for raising the grade on Exchange Place, and bringing the bridge up about three feet higher. By July 1, he reported “that the Commissioner of Highways has been at work fixing the old bridge”, but cautioned people against crowding on the bridge while viewing the July 4^th swimming race on the River Raisin mill pond as “those who have inspected the bridge aver that unless it is repaired soon, there will be broken bones for the town to pay for.”

Click HERE to read Part 2 of the Five Lives of the Main Street Bridge

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by Ray Berg