It has been 10 years since the Port Huron Yacht Club asked the Army Corps of Engineers to demolish the Pere Marquette Railroad Bridge and sell it for scrap metal which they believe will provide them with a considerable sum of money.
About 10 years ago, the State Historic Preservation Office officially recognized the bridge’s significance when it found the bridge eligible for listing on the state and national registers of historic places.
The Committee of Friends of the Père Marquette Bridge was formed eight years ago to join the State Office of Historic Preservation and the National Historic Preservation Advisory Council’s efforts to preserve the bridge.
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Port Huron has four other drawbridges, but none of them feature the unusual design of the Père Marquette Bridge. In fact, the bridge was one of eight Abt-designed bridges ever built worldwide, and one of only six remaining. Its design was patented by Hugo Abt and built by the American Bridge Company, which has built some of the largest and most famous bridges in the world, including the Mackinac Bridge and the Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco.
The bridge serves as a visual landmark at the entrance to the Black River and serves as a reminder of Port Huron’s rich railway history. Next year, the PHYC will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Why would they want to tarnish their reputation as a community partner by taking down a national site for money? We ask them to reconsider their decision to remove this rare and unique monument and withdraw their application.
Friends of the Father Marquette Railway Bridge
