Bridge - Portage Canal - Swing Bridge - 1886 (#1)

The original Portage Canal draw bridge was built in 1886 and was 180 feet long and constructed of steel. The bridge is 8 feet above water and the water has a depth of 85 feet. The swing portion of the bridge was powered by an engine.

The bridge was built by the Mineral Range railroad and rented by the Copper Range railroad. After the bridge was disabled, the railroad operated a car ferry operation between the East Houghton Yard and the old Lake Superior smelting grounds east of Hancock. [SOO-2022-Q1]

This bridge apparently had dual track - standard gauge and narrow gauge.

Prior to 1896, a non-railroad toll bridge was available for people needing to cross the canal, or they could use a ferry (or sleigh) to cross. This initial non-rail bridge was built in 1875.

Bridge in Operation: 19 Years

Notes

Time Line

1885. Work has been begun at Houghton to connect the Marquette, Houghton & Ontonagon and the Mineral Range railroads. A large drawbridge will be built across Portage river and a third rail will be laid on the Mineral Range, which is a narrow gauge extending from Hancock to Calumet. [LCS-1885-1119]

1886. May. The Mineral Range railroad refused to accept the new bridge across Portage Lake between Hancock and Houghton, on the ground that the work is not up to the standard required by the contract. [WEX-1886-0506]

1886. The new drawbridge is opened.

1886. The Mineral Range begins a narrow gauge commuter service over this bridge between Hancock and Houghton. The train stopped at the Mineral Range depot in downtown Houghton. 21 round trips were made each day a frequency which went to 28 per day in summer months. [SOO-2022-Q1]

1896. October. Repairs have commenced on the Mineral Range railroad bridge running under the county's iron bridge across Portage Lake. Four car loads of piles have been received and will be driven under the middle of each spar. Iron cross beams will rest on this piling and support the spans. The draw has already received extra support by the running of wire cables from either end of the cross beams at the top of the center of it. When the present approach to the bridge at the Houghton end has been made solid by the filling in of rock as proposed, there will be no doubt of the strength of the entire crossing.

It was stated by a railroad man who should know, that the company has no intention of building a new bridge and also that the running of standard gauge trains to Calumet so much longed for the business men of that place, is not likely to occur before spring. The state of business of the DSS&A is not such at present as to warrant the unnecessary expense of an iron bridge across Portage Lake nor is the company likely to make, until absolutely necessary, any change that would result in a lessening of income as the running of through trains to Calumet would. With the hoped for revival of business these things will come. At present the passenger business especially is very light. A traveling man frequently using the South Shore line said the travel was the lightest he had known for years. [CN-1896-1016]

1897. The Mineral Range railroad and the county agree to build a replacement swing bridge across the Portage Canal. The railroad will install the new swing bridge with the county paying one half of the cost upon completion. However, in February, 1898, Major Clinton Sears of the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S.A. has requested the U.S. district attorney to sue out an injunction against the railroad and the county to prevent any alteration of the present bridge until the consent of the Secretary of War has been obtained. It is hoped that the misunderstanding will soon be rectified in order that no delay in the railroad traffic across the lake may occur. The railroad attorney, when seeking earlier county approval informed them the Secretary's permission had already been obtained. [CN-1898-0228]

1898. March. The injunction to be served on the railroad company to prohibit any alterations to the Portage Lake bridge being made, has evidently not yet been served for the gang of men were hard at work yesterday and today making preparations to put in the new steel draw. The wood work of the old draw has now nearly all been taken down, and to have the work stopped now it would undoubtedly hinger navitation for some time in the spring. Should the work be allowed to go on the draw can be put in and the bridge again thrown open to the public by the first of next month. [CN-1898-0302]

1902. A new interlocking plant has been installed at the bridge, made by the Taylor Electric Signal Co. [MCR-1903]

1902. March. Some time ago the government engineer recommended that a change be made in the bridge between Houghton and Hancock by taking out the present draw which consists of two spans, and make one span of 120 feet. The change would cost $90,000 and would have to be paid by the county and the Mineral Range and Copper Range railroads. As there has been no complaint on the part of vessel interests who use the draw. Representative Shelden secured the cooperation of Senators Hanna, McMillan and Burrows, who laid the matter before the ware department, with the result that the change will not be urged. [DFP-1902-0313]

1904. January 27. In coupling onto an empty passenger coach this morning at Mill Mine junction, six miles above Houghton, a coach was started down grade and rushed down through town, across the Portage Lake bridge and finally bringing up opposite the Quincy smelts without damage. The interlocking devices on the bridge paid for the expense of installation by preventing a collision with a Mineral Range train. [DPP-1904-0128]

1905. The steamer Northern Wave collided with the bridge, knocking it off its turret into the water. [SOO-2022-Q1] There were few people on the bridge at the time of the accident, however three people were injured. The cause of the accident was the refusal of the mechanism of the span to work properly. The draw was turning in the direction the boat was coming, and the Northern Wave hit it just to one side of the end. The craft plowed through the draw and the bridge fell with a crash. The bow of the boat was damaged but not seriously. The County has contracted with the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company to remove the wreckage and work is now in progress, crowds of people witnessing the novel sight. Until the damaged structure can be repaired, railroad and other traffic to Hancock and the copper country will be by scows and ferry boats. [LAS-1905-0422]

1905. The Houghton county supervisors accepted the plans for the new drawbridge over Portage lake, and authorized the South Shore and Copper Range railroad companies to advertise for bids for the erection of the structure. The draw will be considerably larger than the old one, will be entirely of steel, and will require fully six months to erect. [LAS-1905-0527]

1906. The bridge was replaced. [MCR-1904]