When the newly built Third Street bridge was officially opened in July 1962 it was a really big deal. The celebration lasted three days (July 25, 26 and 27) and was billed as “Bridgerama Days”. One of the mantras was, “At Last! The New Third Street Bridge Opens and All Roads Lead To Chatham!”
This Saturday, the Downtown Chatham BIA, led by Clair Culliford, will be host to the second Bridgerama Day. And organizers are hoping it will be as successful as the one held 60 years ago.
Lisa and I will be there representing the Kent Historical Society and selling our latest publications, plus showing some artifacts from Chatham’s history. I don’t think it will surpass the 1962 celebrations but will be a noble attempt and we are glad that the BIA stepped up to celebrate this significant date in Chatham’s history.
It is a bit difficult for most of us to wrap our heads around the fever pitch that seemed to surround the opening of this new Third Street bridge in 1962. During those three days there were street dances (“Orchestra On One Side For Mom and Dad And A Big Record Hop on The King Street Side”) , the Chatham Kiltie Band, the Honorable Fred M. Cass, Minister of Municipal Affairs opening up the structure, and “super sales” going on in every store on King Street.
Plus, there was “On The Hour Coverage From The Man In The Car on The Third Street Bridge”!
I am quite sure there were no celebrations happening in any fashion a few summers ago when the Fifth Street was opened after being closed for parts of 2017 and 2018. And, of course, I cannot wait to see the “huge” celebrations when the new Third Street Bridge opens!
There were probably a few motorists crossing the new span after it opened for traffic, honking their horns and yelling things like “It’s about time!” or other things much more colorful and much less complimentary.
However, I don’t remember any “man on the bridge issuing hourly reports”, “record hops”, bands, super sales or political heavyweights celebrating the reopening of the Parry Bridge when it was closed a few summers ago. Do you?
Things were different in the 1960s. In fact, I bet you can barely remember the names of those merchants that were part of the “Third Street Bridge Merchants Association Bridgerama Stores”. For example, remember Godfree’s Men’s Wear, Edwards Radio Service, Star Furniture, Poolman’s Family Shop, Kerpel Shoe Repair, Lewies Variety, The Rosery, Frances Crookes, Bert Stacey Motors, Denomy’s Radio & TV Ltd., Tots And Teens Bootery, LJ Mulhern and Company, Labombard’s, FW Woolworth etc.
In July 1962, the Chatham Daily News celebrated the opening of the new bridge that replaced one built in 1892 with a special 15-page supplement. The supplement had pages that were 16 inches wide and 22 inches high.
When reading this supplement, I also found reference to some of the interesting historical items that were found when the Detroit River Construction Company was constructing the bridge. Under 16 feet of clay, workers found the original pipe-like key used to operate the first Aberdeen Bridge (the former name of the Third Street Bridge).
Another item found in the river was an antique hand-blown bottle that was “tapered at both ends” and had a soft green color.
Another bit of Chatham’s past dug out of the Thames River at the Third Street bridge was the original pilings for the Aberdeen Bridge. According to construction superintendent Perreault “the second bridge (1892) was built right on top of it the original bridge (c.1856). It was a large crib made of timbers that were all hand-hewn”.
The crib was found 18 feet under the river bed and in the middle of the new Third Street bridge. So well-preserved were these timbers that Perrault saved some of these timbers to be “used on other building jobs.”
They also found an old water-main that had, at a much earlier time, crossed the Thames River. Perrault stated that it was “one of the mains not used by the city anymore and there wasn’t any water in it when we dug it up.”
In this Tuesday, July 24 special “Bridgerama” edition there was also a very interesting article about a former key element of early bridges in Chatham but noticeably absent from this newest structure. It was an article about the duties of the “Keeper of the Bridges” in 1906.
Bylaws governed the actions of Chatham’s bridge keeper and one of those dealt with the people crossing the bridges in Chatham. It stated that “… any person or persons riding or driving on or over these bridges at a faster rate than a walk will on conviction thereof be subject to a fine as provided by law.”
The bridge keeper of 1906 was required to be “… continually in attendance at the said bridges (Third Street and Fifth Street) for the purpose of opening the same to admit free passage of all crafts or other ships, scows or boats navigating the River Thames and closing the same for the accommodation of the public travel.”
Duties of the caretaker for the cleanliness of the bridge was contained in a single paragraph of no less than 276 words. For example, the bridge keeper was required to “sweep and cleanse the road and footways of the bridge between 6 and 7 am in the summer months and between 7 and 8 pm during the winter months.”
In addition, the Keeper of The Bridges “will remove any filth found thereon and remove any indecent or foul printing or pictures to be found on any portions of the bridge.”
The bridge keeper working in the early 1900s was responsible for “… the furnishing of oil for the lamps of the bridge and to keep them properly cleaned, trimmed and lighted at all times and to supply oil to keep the machinery of the bridge working.”
The opening of the present-day Third Street bridge in July 1962 was indeed a huge event and probably a little more than we would deem appropriate in today’s word. But there was something very charming, community-oriented and kind of heart-warming about those heady days in a summer before the Vietnam War, race riots, the assassination of Martin Luther King as well as John and Bobby Kennedy.
In this “Bridgerama Supplement” the spraining of an ankle by John Diefenbaker was still considered a newsworthy item, and without a hint of sarcasm.
There is part of me that longs for such innocent times when bridges and life alike seemed to be headed into the future on bright, cheerful and hopeful roads.