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When the United States and Canada couldn’t decide who was going to pay for a bridge over the Pigeon River that would connect the two countries, the Rotary clubs in Thunder Bay and Duluth agreed they would get together to plan, fund and build the bridge, and that’s just what they did in 1916-1917.
Canada was in the midst of World War 1, and the U.S. said it would be three years before they had funds for a bridge, and Minnesota said it didn’t have any money, so that left it up to the Rotarians.
“Thus, the Outlaw Bridge represents,” said Brian Walmark, president of the Port Arthur Rotary, “the highest attainment of what can be achieved when our communities come together, put our shoulders to the wheel and work together toward a common goal.”
Walmark spoke at Grand Portage Lodge and Casino on Saturday, July 1, to a group of Duluth and Thunder Bay Rotarians who came together to celebrate the monumental achievement.
Music by Eric Kahn and the Frozen Bridges opened the festivities. Bagpiper William Peters brought in the speakers, followed by opening remarks that featured the rich history of the Ojibwe. Speakers included Kay Bigga, past district governor, and an acknowledgment of special guests by Matt Villella. Next, Beverly Soloway, a University of Lakehead professor, presented the history of the Outlaw Bridge.
In 1910, said Soloway, William Scott, President of the Pigeon River Lumber Company and founding member of the Fort William-Port Arthur Good Roads Association, wrote, “The people of the Canadian head of lakes are eager to have this auto drive between there, and Duluth put through, and stand ready to immediately build the remaining 20 miles of road necessary to reach the Minnesota border.”
At that time, Soloway said roads were built for bikes, not automobiles, but that was quickly changing as more people purchased motor vehicles.
“Why was a road between Duluth and the Lakehead important?” Soloway queried. The road was built to help miners and prospectors, timber men, improve services mail, transfer goods, boost tourism, increase business opportunities, break isolation and increase auto ownership, she said.
By 1916 the roads on both sides of the Pigeon River were automobile ready, but with no bridge, traffic was all but stopped.
Mr. Scott traveled to Duluth to meet with the Duluth rotary club to see if he could generate interest in building a bridge across the Pigeon River. The Duluth Rotary was all for it, which sparked Cook County’s interest. The roads between the two countries finally looked like roads automobiles could travel on, but without a bridge, travel by auto across the border wasn’t practical. However, Soloway said three gentlemen from Canada had gone along the river to a low spot and driven across to see if it could be done. They traveled back home by boat, she added.
During the winter of 1916-1917, prefabricated wood spans donated from Mt. Scott’s lumber company in Port Arthur were delivered via horse-drawn sleigh. It took one week to bring in one span to the site.
Donald Fegales, Rotarian, was a civil engineer who designed and oversaw the building of the bridge. Among his many accolades, Soloway said Fegales assisted in building the Panama Canal.
Soloway read a list of Rotary accomplishments dated December 1916. They included “Rotary to coordinate the project. Donald Fegales, Rotarian, Civil Engineer to design and oversee; Two Harbors donated the iron bridge superstructure. Port Arthur and Grand Marais sawmills: donated lumber, and Cook County donated tents, blankets, and camp equipment. Fort William and Port Arthur: volunteer labor.
Cook County also donated $2,000 cash, and both Duluth and Canadian Rotary clubs each donated $1,500.
When the bridge was built, it cost $4,801.78, which is equivalent to about $115,000 today.
A celebration was held on August 18, 1917, for the grand opening of Port Arthur to Duluth Road. Or Scott Highway, as some called it, or the Lake Superior international highway in Minnesota, as others knew it. More than 500 people attended, and Soloway said politicians on both sides of the border were eager to talk at the grand opening.
Now that the bridge was open, travel began, but it was slow. The drive between Port Arthur to Grand Marais was five hours, and the drive between Port Arthur to Duluth was 12 hours. The fastest speed an automobile could attain was 25 mph. The bridge was open from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and closed for the winter.
Even though either country didn’t sanction the bridge, both countries put Customs officials there to monitor goods and products that moved through the border. Soloway said some Customs agents would throw confiscated alcohol over the bridge to the water below, and it didn’t take long for folks to wait below and fish the bottles of alcohol from the river.
In 1930 the 120-foot wooden span Outlaw Bridge was replaced with a steel span bridge that was 20 feet long with safer approaches. And this time, both countries shared the cost of building the bridge.
The International Pigeon River crossing bridge was moved in 1963 to its current location based in part to accommodate Grand Portage, who asked Highway 61 to run through their community to help bring tourism, said Soloway.
The wooden outlaw bridge lasted for 13 years. It stood as a testament, said David Long, District Governor, to what people can do “when our communities come together, put our shoulders to the wheel and work together towards a common goal. We didn’t wait for governments to get in the way. Collaboration is just as important today,” said Mr. Long, adding, “We can change the world.”
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