Milan's original Saline River Bridge was demolished in 1936

Tom Adamich
·3 min read

MILAN — The original Saline River Bridge in Milan was a fixture in the city in the late 1800s. It was also a rare example of a pin-connect Pratt truss "tressel" bridge of which few examples exist anywhere in the U.S. today. The “Murals for Milan” beautification project features a photo of the original Saline River Bridge in the downtown area on Wabash Street and shows the bridge as it appeared (facing north) in 1900.

The original Saline River Bridge was built by the Massillon Bridge Co. of Massillon, Ohio, in February 1889 at a cost of $275. A walkway on the east side allowed pedestrians to follow River Street, which was also part of U.S. Highway No. 23 (now Wabash Street), without getting wet. The bridge was demolished in 1936 as part of Milan's makeover by automobile manufacturer Henry Ford so he could construct a reservoir and dam by diverting the Saline River to a new channel.

The Dry Road bridge was dedicated on July 23, 1937, and is also known as the “new Saline River Bridge." HistoricBridges.org’s Nathan Holth describes the current bridge as being "an uncommon example" of a bridge in Michigan that is a deck plate girder but does not have built-up beams.
The Dry Road bridge was dedicated on July 23, 1937, and is also known as the “new Saline River Bridge." HistoricBridges.org’s Nathan Holth describes the current bridge as being "an uncommon example" of a bridge in Michigan that is a deck plate girder but does not have built-up beams.

As written by Kenneth Dodge in his “River Raisin Assessment,” published in 1998 for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Co. constructed hydroelectric facilities at existing dams and built several new dams in the River Raisin watershed and throughout southeastern Michigan during the two decades prior to the end of World War II. Small factories constructed at these sites made automobile parts for Detroit-area assembly plants. Starting in the 1940s, the Ford Motor Co. operated hydroelectric facilities and small auto parts factories located in Brooklyn, Sharon Hollow, Manchester, Clinton, Tecumseh, Dundee, Saline, Milan and Macon. All these hydroelectric facilities except for Sharon Hollow have been retired.

The Massillon Bridge Co. was founded by Joseph Davenport in 1869. The company became incorporated in 1887 and continued successful operations through the early 1900s. The Massillon-built original Saline River Bridge was predated by one of the most interesting and preserved bridges in Michigan: Kent County’s Sixth Street Bridge, which is in Grand Rapids and runs over the Grand River.

The Sixth Street Bridge, spanning over 544 feet, is one of the longest pin-connected Pratt truss bridges still in existence. The same design was used for the original Saline River Bridge in Milan, built in 1889.
The Sixth Street Bridge, spanning over 544 feet, is one of the longest pin-connected Pratt truss bridges still in existence. The same design was used for the original Saline River Bridge in Milan, built in 1889.

The Sixth Street Bridge, spanning over 544 feet, is a fitting and enduring tribute to the Massillon Bridge Co.’s work. Constructed in 1886, this bridge is made of wrought iron. This bridge is one of the most important historic bridges in Michigan, since it is the longest pin-connected highway truss in the state. According to HistoricBridges.org’s Nathan Holth, Michigan has a few truss bridges that are more than one span in length, and most of those are two spans. A four-span bridge in Michigan is, thus, extremely rare for its unusually long length (particularly in Michigan). The bridge is also significant for the length of its individual spans. The bridge has three spans that are 154 feet in length. This is a very long span length for a pin-connected Pratt truss, and is among the longest in Michigan. Any longer, and the bridge might have employed a Whipple, Baltimore or Pennsylvania truss design.

The Lilley Road Bridge in Canton Township was built by the Massillon Bridge Company of Massillon, Ohio. The same company also built the original Saline River Bridge in Milan.
The Lilley Road Bridge in Canton Township was built by the Massillon Bridge Company of Massillon, Ohio. The same company also built the original Saline River Bridge in Milan.

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A dedication was held on July 23, 1937, for the “new Saline River Bridge." Holth describes the current bridge as being, “an uncommon example" of a bridge in Michigan that is a deck plate girder but does not have built-up beams. Instead, two large, rolled I-beams on each side of the bridge are connected by transverse floorbeams. The bridge has original railings, which have riveted metal posts. The bridge is quite plain in appearance and is unadorned by any architectural details. The bridge is on a road which floods with enough frequency that Monroe County has installed swinging gates with which to close off the road during floods.

— Tom Adamich is president of Visiting Librarian Service, a firm he has operated since 1993. He also is project archivist for the Greening Nursery Co. and Family Archives and the electric vehicle awareness coordinator at Monroe County Community College.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Milan's original Saline River Bridge was demolished in 1936