  Mortalman Member Username: Mortalman Post Number: 420 Registered: 03-2007 |
Does anyone know if there was ever a fee charged to cross the bridge on foot or by conveyance when the original Belle Isle Bridge spanned the Isle to the Detroit mainland? And, if so who collected and benefited from these fees? The reason I am asking is I have seen at least one references to "Belle Isle Bridge gate house" and two references to the "Belle Isle Bridge toll house".  | ||
Dtowncitylover Member Username: Dtowncitylover Post Number: 360 Registered: 02-2008 |
What an ugly, monstrous thing. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3426 Registered: 07-2004 |
Set on fire by a tar truck in, what, 1915? I imagine grandpappy Detroitnerd saw it from his job at the U.S. Rubber Company shops on Jefferson. | ||
Hans57 Member Username: Hans57 Post Number: 343 Registered: 05-2006 |
True, the bridge today is a bit more graceful. The old one has its charm. Is that the one Houdini stunted off of? Also, did that one succumb to fire? | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3427 Registered: 07-2004 |
Houdini's career "spanned" (chuckle) both bridges.  | ||
Jtf1972 Member Username: Jtf1972 Post Number: 62 Registered: 08-2008 |
Nice pic... never saw that one before! | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 3431 Registered: 07-2004 |
"What an ugly, monstrous thing." I dunno. I kinda like the way old bridges look sturdy, hulking, overbuilt and angular, then get funny, elegant things tacked on, like those finial-type adornments at the top. Or the way the tacked-on speed limit sign makes the grand bridge read "Belle Ridge". They don't make 'em like that anymore, though some would cheer that statement. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1966 Registered: 04-2006 |
My grandmother remember a Belle Isle bridge that had plank boards and holes through it. At that time, you would take the streetcar to Grand Blvd and have to walk across the bridge to get to the island. I would assume it had a toll because one time my great grandmother (who did not speak english) paid her fare and got in line. It turns out she was inline for the roller coaster that was once next to the bridge. She got on the roller coaster thinking it was the new way to get on the island and it turns out she did not like roller coasters. My grandmother always found that to be funny and told that story to me several times. | ||
Gibran Member Username: Gibran Post Number: 4105 Registered: 02-2007 |
just think of all the history that those two bridges have seen...my dad told me stories of his wild youth jumping off the bridge only to be told about all the debris underneath and how dangerous it was...guess we all live long enough to pay back our parents.. I used to jump off the observation deck at the point club/ marina until a worker chased us off saying you know the debris down there is dangerous...refarbs etc... thanks for the pictures...guess some of his friends claimed to have jumped off the old grain elevators off of Jefferson had to clear the docks...don't know if that was urban myth or not...i sure as hell wasn't going to top that. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 7386 Registered: 08-2004 |
Parts of "Scott Middle Ground" shallows goes underneath the Belle Isle Bridge. In certain parts of Scott Middle Ground the water is only 3 feet deep (out in the middle of the river between the Belle Isle Beach and mainland. The water depth from the beach goes from 0 to 32 ft. deep, then back up to 3 ft. deep in Scott Middle Ground, and then back to 30 ft. deep before rising again to the mainland. Under the bridge, I think the shallowest part is about 10 ft. deep. Of course I'm looking at a 90 year old river topography map, so they may have dredged parts of Scott Middle Ground (a pleasure craft navigational hazard) since then. | ||
Kennyd Member Username: Kennyd Post Number: 59 Registered: 04-2008 |
This pic of the bridge fire I think I got off an HOF thread.  | ||
Mikeydbn Member Username: Mikeydbn Post Number: 370 Registered: 04-2004 |
Another view of the first bridge  | ||
Frankg Member Username: Frankg Post Number: 674 Registered: 08-2007 |
This is a photo from my Grandpa's photo collection. My Grandpa was born in 1902, and he used to talk of diving off the Belle Isle Bridge. I don't know if he was talking about the old one or new one. My other Grandpa was born in 1919, he used to talk of belly-flopping off the Belle Isle Bridge. Again, I don't know if he was talking of the old one or the new one.  | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 2597 Registered: 11-2007 |
Did they run a Ferry service to the island while the new bridge was being planned? I'm sure they just didn't shut down the island for the duration. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3705 Registered: 10-2003 |
There was ferry service from the foot of the bridge to the bath house and also from Water Works Park to the bath house. | ||
Stinger4me Member Username: Stinger4me Post Number: 325 Registered: 08-2007 |
I am not sure where the new bridge is with respect to the old bridge. A concern of some folks would be some of the footings of the old bridge which may still be in the water. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3707 Registered: 10-2003 |
The new bridge is east, upstream from the old. A temporary bridge was built west of the old one until the new one was built. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3708 Registered: 10-2003 |
Here are a couple of maps from the early 1920s... ...showing the temporary bridge and the piers of the old bridge:  The kinked approach to the temporary bridge and the leftover landing of the old bridge on the island side:  | ||
Mortalman Member Username: Mortalman Post Number: 422 Registered: 03-2007 |
The new bridge’s name is the “Douglas MacArthur Bridge”. It was changed in 1942 from the original name which was the “Belle Isle Bridge”. Seeing the name “Belle Isle Bridge” in the initial post struck me why even though it is the “Douglas MacArthur Bridge” that everyone still refers to it as the “Belle Isle Bridge”. It’s because on the old bridge you saw the name of it every time you came and went. Now, to see the name of the bridge you have to stop on either end of the bridge to read the name of the bridge on the plaques while everyone is flipping you the bird and telling you to “get the f**k going you a**h**e! *#(&$!!#^ So, the old name persists as the “Belle Isle Bridge” as it should be. I forgot, did MacArthur live on the east or west side of Detroit? | ||
Townonenorth Member Username: Townonenorth Post Number: 264 Registered: 10-2007 |
I hope that you are joking about MacArthur being either an East sider or a West sider. Either way, below article explains who he was. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D ouglas_MacArthur | ||
Townonenorth Member Username: Townonenorth Post Number: 265 Registered: 10-2007 |
And also, one for the bridge itself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M acArthur_Bridge_(Detroit) | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 2600 Registered: 11-2007 |
Mikem - Any chance on info on the type of Ferry's that were operating at that time to Belle Isle? Passenger only, passenger/vehicle, cargo etc.? This kind of fascinates me, on how quick the Ferry service startup was after the fire, as the island was well used at that time. | ||
Zrx_doug Member Username: Zrx_doug Post Number: 756 Registered: 03-2008 |
It'll always be "MacArthur Bridge" for me..wanna guess who I was named after? | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3709 Registered: 10-2003 |
Passenger and cargo? Someone here will know; maybe The Rock. I'm too busy to research it. I have the feeling that the ferry service existed before the first bridge was ever built. Don't know when it was discontinued. | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 2602 Registered: 11-2007 |
Mikem, Passenger and cargo? - that was a great photo! Thanks. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3710 Registered: 10-2003 |
A few more photos from WSU Virtual Motor City: Old bridge with boat landing in background. This was a separate dock from the ferry dock, probably used by Great Lakes cruise ships. Temporary bridge after fire. Remaining piers of original bridge visible on right side. Temporary bridge under construction. Old bridge piers on left side. Aerial view of temporary bridge on left, old bridge piers in center, and new bridge supports under construction on right. View from temporary bridge of old and new piers. | ||
Kennyd Member Username: Kennyd Post Number: 67 Registered: 04-2008 |
Wow, that second picture looks like it was taken on Memorial Day. Or maybe just a weekend? "The Home of Knobby Tread Tires" Mikem, can always count on you to do our legwork. Thanks... | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 2604 Registered: 11-2007 |
Belle Isle; Bridge; Temporary photo, it sure looks like an 1918 Detroit Electric in the lower left. - 90 years later and we're still waiting ....  | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6758 Registered: 10-2003 |
I believe the boats were passenger only. MikeM is right the island was serviced long before the bridge. The Detroit & Windsor ferry co. used to hit the island. | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 2606 Registered: 11-2007 |
Sigh - they still used wood planks in the temporary bridge too. Mistakes not learned. |
