Photo Gallery: Ambassador Bridge Construction 1927

**eriedearie** · March-09-10, 05:00 PM

Anniversary Photos - I don't remember ever seeing these posted before. If so, pardon the duplication. If not, enjoy!

Photo Gallery: Ambassador Bridge Construction 1927

If you're a Detroiter, a former Detroiter, or just a history buff, this is a great trip. Click the link below to view an interesting photo story on the construction of the Ambassador Bridge. Once you get there - make sure to click "next" in upper right hand corner of the web page to advance thru all 30 photos.

See if you can spot some notable structures in the background that existed back then. I noticed a few.

http://multimedia.detnews.com/pix/ph...009/index.html

**windsor_shane** · March-09-10, 05:35 PM

thanks... thats a great gallery

**Ragtoplover59** · March-09-10, 06:16 PM

Good find eriedearie!
I love the shot of the turntable just off to the side of the bridge.
A few new [[old) photos there!, some of them are on the Bridge web site.

http://www.ambassadorbridge.com/gallery.html

**Maof** · March-09-10, 07:43 PM

thanks erie. you beleive those guys working with no safety harnesses? amazing

**downtown_racine** · March-09-10, 07:58 PM

It is a great gallery, whenever I see these old pictures it kind of amazes me how folks would take the family out there to have a look whether it be to see the final product or a partially built bridge.
The turntable is very cool. The huge gas holders are also neat, they also look to be under construction.

One thing I dont see anywhere and I searched around online is what company built the bridge ?
I would guess the American Bridge Company but there were many capable builders.

**Maof** · March-10-10, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by downtown_racine

One thing I dont see anywhere and I searched around online is what company built the bridge ?
I would guess the American Bridge Company but there were many capable builders.

Racine...Go to Ragtoplover's post and notice the website. I think it mentioned a company McClintic-Marshall.

**Zacha341** · March-10-10, 08:42 AM

Simply wonderful... I love the photos and studied them in great detail. So weird to see smoke coming out of the Central Train station building. Thanks for sharing this!

Originally Posted by eriedearie

Anniversary Photos - I don't remember ever seeing these posted before. If so, pardon the duplication. If not, enjoy!

Photo Gallery: Ambassador Bridge Construction 1927

If you're a Detroiter, a former Detroiter, or just a history buff, this is a great trip. Click the link below to view an interesting photo story on the construction of the Ambassador Bridge. Once you get there - make sure to click "next" in upper right hand corner of the web page to advance thru all 30 photos.

See if you can spot some notable structures in the background that existed back then. I noticed a few.

http://multimedia.detnews.com/pix/ph...009/index.html

**Maple Leaf Rag** · March-10-10, 08:47 AM

Is that a young Matty Moroun in the newsboy cap?

**gnome** · March-10-10, 10:41 AM

Does anyone know why it is called the Ambassador? Was there a naming contest? Did the owner just pick it ...?

**Sandhouse** · March-10-10, 11:23 AM

This has always been one of my favorite series of old photos. They were in a good history book that was published about 20 years ago about the promotion and building of the Bridge. Other photos show how the supports were built right through the roof of the Pere Marquette Rwy. roundhouse. Also interesting is the nest of old factories on the downriver side of the Bridge; it's amazing how dense the riverside development used to be. Those factories look like they dealt with some nasty stuff, not far from the residential blocks to the north. I wonder whose yacht that was?

**Traxus** · March-10-10, 12:40 PM

I hate to give the Detroit News any credit but this is an awesome photo:

**exmotowner** · March-10-10, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by Maof

thanks erie. you beleive those guys working with no safety harnesses? amazing

I would never be able to get up there. Even with a saftey harness. In 2000 I fell 20 feet and landed on concrete. Crushed my back and both feet. Very scared of heights now. I sure as hell would not be climbing on that sign!

**walkerpub** · March-10-10, 02:53 PM

The bridge was named Ambassador in honour of the relationship between Windsor-Detroit/ USA-Canada...

**eriedearie** · March-10-10, 06:05 PM

I'm glad you all have enjoyed seeing those pictures. I had seen a couple of them before - but never saw such a great grouping! I was excited when I found them and wanted to share them here.

Yeah, I noticed the "no safety harnesses" - those guys were awfully brave to do that kind of work. I heard that several of the workers lost their lives while building the bridge. Suppose I could Google it to find out for sure. I'll put that on my to do list. I do remember not too long ago that one of the maintenance men from Windsor fell to his death. Maybe 10-15 years ago?

**babeeblumer** · March-10-10, 08:03 PM

Great pics.

Quite the "Ambassador" Manny/Matty has been. This article leaves me all the more intrigued with his motives and actions:
http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache...&ct=clnk&gl=us

**eriedearie** · March-11-10, 08:54 AM

Found this video! Watch Part 1, then there are several more parts to click on. I believe the music that's playing with each video just may be the "music of the day."

I've not researched her yet - but one of the videos shows a Helen Austin walking across the temporary foot bridge that spanned the Detroit River. And you can clearly see she is without a safety harness!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clcQk76-N2k

**rid0617** · March-12-10, 06:20 AM

Say one thing for steel workers back then. They had a major set on them. No safety cables, standing on edges with nothing around them. No thank you

The Dude · March-12-10, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by eriedearie

Found this video! Watch Part 1, then there are several more parts to click on. I believe the music that's playing with each video just may be the "music of the day."

I've not researched her yet - but one of the videos shows a Helen Austin walking across the temporary foot bridge that spanned the Detroit River. And you can clearly see she is without a safety harness!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clcQk76-N2k

Part 6 didn't make any sense to me. What does farming and playing golf have to do with a bridge? What do people gathering outside a house have to do with a bridge? You can tell Canada did not have Prohibition when they show people ouside of Robinet's Wine CELLARS.

Also, you'll notice that there were no hard hats in those days.

**eriedearie** · March-12-10, 10:44 PM

Dude - you're right - there were no hard hats back then!

About the Part 6 video, at the end it is explained. No one knows what that is all about - apparently the movie was found along with the Ambassador Bridge stuff. So they just included it right along with all of them. I was confused, wondering to myself - WHAT THE HECK does golf have to do with building a bridge! ... That's my understanding anyway.