I saw this old stone bridge crossing the Bean Creek in the southern Michigan town of Hudson. I knew it was historically significant with the historical marker next to it. The marker reads:

The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway organized on May 27, 1869. The railroad’s main line linked Buffalo, New York, with Chicago. The railroad played a vital role in transporting not only passengers, but also the materials that fed the nation’s burgeoning industries. Between 1873 and 1898, the L.S. & M.S. handled over 6 million tons of coal and 15 million tons of ore. The railway merged with the New York Central in 1914.

The bridge, built in 1871-72 of sandstone from Berea, Ohio, crosses Bean Creek on the main line of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. The span of the arch measures 60 feet. By 1892, of 223 bridges over 1413 miles of track along the line, only 22 were built of stone. Stone arch bridges are rare in Michigan. This bridge and one near Adrian are the state’s oldest examples. The bridge was removed from rail service in 1962.

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Near Grand Rapids is the town of Ada. Rix Robinson built a trading post near present-day Ada in 1821 and made the first land purchase in 1833. A post office was established in 1837. Both the township and village settlement were named for Ada Smith, the daughter of the first postmaster. A Michigan historical marker proudly describes the history of the one of a kind bridge wooden bridge in Ada and it reads: An act of the legislature in 1867 authorized Ada Township to borrow up to $3000 for the purpose of building or repairing bridges in the township. This bridge was built about that time, apparently by William Holmes. The design for the trusses was patented by Josiah Brown in 1857. A timber bearing his name was uncovered during repair work. The bridge has been threatened by floods a number of times. It is said that farmers used to drive wagons loaded with stone onto the bridge during high water to hold it to the foundation. The bridge was closed to automobile traffic in 1930 and restored by the Kent County Road Commission in 1941.

If you are ever in the area be sure to stop by and walk across the bridge. It is like walking back in time.

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McCourtie Park is in the town of Somerset Center in southern Michigan along US-12. The park was originally the estate of businessman  W. H. L. McCourtie. He hired Mexican artisans George Cardoso and Ralph Corona to construct seventeen bridges on his property. They sculpted them out of concrete to look like natural wood. The house is gone but the bridges remain and are now part of a public park. It is a nice place to stop and take a break and check out these beautiful little bridges.

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On US-23 between Au Gres and Tawas is a bridge that crosses the east branch of the Au Gres River and has been given the nickname “The Singing Bridge.” When I was younger most people knew it as the place to party while smelt dipping. If you ask someone who grew up in the Saginaw Valley region in the ’70s and went smelt dipping, they will probably tell you all sorts of stories of massive parties at the Singing Bridge. I am not sure how true they are, but the smelt used to run heavily in the area years ago and would draw crowds to dip for smelt when they were running.

Legend has it the bridge got its moniker from the wood or metal decking that it had decades ago. As cars drove across it the tires would hum from the texture of the road. I think MDOT should add grooves to the bridge and make it sing once again like in this video HERE. The big question would be what song would it play. I say the U of M fight song, but I think Spartan fans would disagree. Maybe U of M one way and MSU the other.

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Michigan has a few historic wooden covered bridges but this one about twenty miles from the Indiana border is almost the length of a football field.  Spaning across the St Joeseph River the Langley Bridge 282 feet long. It was built in 1887 by Pierce Bodmer of Parkville, using the best quality white pine for the frame timbers. The bridge was named after a family in the nearby town of Centreville. When the Sturgis Dam was built in 1910, the Langley Bridge had to be raised eight feet. In 1950-51 extensive repairs and replacement of parts on the bridge were done to preserve this historic bridge which is still a vital river crossing.

The bridge is a one-lane bridge and is interesting to drive through. You have to be sure a car is not entering from the other direction before you enter otherwise someone is backing up a long distance. If you are in the area be sure to take a trip across this historic bridge. It would make for an excellent drive in the Fall when the leaves are at their peak along the St Joseph River.

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The Cut River Bridge on US-2 passes over the Cut River which carved a gorge into the landscape over the several centries it has flowed into Lake Michigan. From the topside, it seems like most bridges. But if you stop at the rest area next to the bridge, you can walk down underneath it and see the myriad of green steel girders.

It’s near the town of Epoufette about 25 miles west of St. Ignace. Construction of the bridge began in 1941 but was halted during WWII. The 641 foot long bridge was finally compleated in 1947. Under the east end of the bridge is a wooden door in the stone foundation. A brass plate on the door reads ” T. Troll ” I am not sure if it is their office or home, but whenever I knocked they never answered.

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