Postcard from Steamer Troy Ramming the Interstate Bridge
On Aug. 11, 1906, the steamer Troy knocked the draw span of the Interstate Bridge into St. Louis Bay. At the time, the Interstate Bridge was the only bridge connecting Duluth and Superior, so the cities were reduced to ferry service for two years until repairs to the bridge were completed.
The Interstate Bridge opened in 1897. It was replaced by the Blatnik Bridge in 1961, but parts of it still exist as a fishing pier on Rice’s Point in Duluth.
The caption on the postcard shown above reads:
Span of the Interstate Bridge between Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis., wrecked by the Steamer “Troy” of the Western Transit Line, at 1 o’clock a.m., August 11, 1906. This was one of the longest draw-spans in the country. Length, 485 feet.
The card was mailed on Aug. 30, 1906, to — if our interpretation of the penmanship is correct — Glenn McGregor of Carsonville, Michigan. The handwritten message around the front margins of the card reads:
Hello Glenn: Here is a picture of the bridge where the streetcars cross Duluth to Superior. It is a very large one and this is the way it looks now. We can see it from our house. They have not started to fix it yet but it will cost a large sum to repair it. I wish you could see it. Love to all from Kate, 3730 Minnesota Ave., Duluth
Fast forward to the near future when one of the bridges connecting the Twin Ports will be out of service for a few years. They used ferry service back then and I think that should be looked at as an option for this upcoming disruption. Back in the early 2000s, the Vista Queen ran tours out from the DECC and Barkers Island. Make a couple runs back and forth in the morning and evening. Would there be some kind of funding available to subsidize this? Bus service may need to be expanded as well to make more direct runs to terminal/target locations. I’d buy a monthly pass for sure.