A look back at a landmark
Champlain Bridge's opening was memorable event for Vermont, New York
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A last view of the Crown Point Bridge before its scheduled demolition today, seen from the Vermont side. Cassandra Hoteling/Rutland Herald |
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By Don Wickman Correspondent - Published: December 28, 2009
Since 1609, when Samuel de Champlain became the first European to see the body of water now bearing his name, there had been the dream of bridging the waterway. Well, it took 320 years to accomplish, but at 1:56 p.m. on Aug. 26, 1929, 17-year-old Betty Ferris snipped the white ribbon officially opening the Champlain Bridge while the Vermont and New York governors looked on. The structure stretched between Addison and Crown Point, N.Y.
Lake Champlain had constantly proven to be a natural barrier between Vermont and New York. Since the 18th century numerous ferries have traversed the lake, but by the 20th century ferry operators were enduring rough times. The goal of increasing the crossing speed often dictated expenditures into new equipment. The public wanted to get places in shorter times and looked toward the erection of a bridge. A newspaper editor reiterated the reasons for a bridge crossing:
Always open
No heavy vehicle restrictions
Speedy crossing with no waiting
Safety from vessel failures
Easy access
A fair price
Odds were against the ferry operators. Time and public opinion favored bridging the lake. But it had to be a joint Vermont and New York venture.
One might initially believe an interstate bridge would be primarily for transporting commerce. But by the mid-1920s a new business was taking a priority — tourism. With cheaper automobiles, improving roads and motels, people responded to the urge to travel. Just like today, tourists and their dollars were invaluable.
The 1920s might not have been as fast-paced as today, but travelers wanted reduced driving times. A Lake Champlain bridge met these criteria. Both Vermont and New York realized the economic significance to help supplement the state treasuries.
So New York and Vermont decided to cooperatively work on achieving the goal of bridging the lake. The separate legislatures created a joint Champlain Bridge Commission in 1925.
Before you build a bridge you require a site. Six locations were suggested in initial studies. The first, from West Swanton to Rouse's Point, N.Y., was eliminated for being too far north. The Champlain Bridge Commission had to examine sites in the southern portion of the lake below Crown Point where the lake was narrower and shallower. First studies examined five locations with the intent that any bridge constructed had to conform to a channel clearance of 90 feet above high water and a channel width of 200 to 300 feet. The studied locations were:
Chipman's Point, Orwell, to Wright's, N.Y.
Mount Independence, Orwell, to Fort Ticonderoga, N.Y.
Larrabee's Point, Shoreham, to Fort Ticonderoga Station, N.Y.
West Bridport, to Crown Point, N.Y.
Chimney Point, Addison, to Crown Point, N.Y.
The West Bridport and Larrabee's Point sites were abandoned due to poor bedrock. Estimates for structures at Mount Independence and Chipman's Point came in at $1.45 million and $1.07 million, respectively. Both sites provided the high bluffs for the needed channel clearance.
At Chimney Point the engineers calculated longer approaches were necessary to raise the bridge to the required clearance, but even with that added expense the bridge estimate came to $870,000. After much evaluation, the Champlain Bridge Commission forwarded the recommendation for the "construction of a highway bridge on the site known as Fort Frederick — Chimney Point location."
The commission decided the span would be steel trusses resting on concrete piers. A 24-foot-wide roadway was designed for the traffic, as was a 20-ton weight limitation. Though the lake narrowed to 1,650 feet at the point, the overall bridge length was planned at 2,080 feet for sufficient navigational clearance.
With location resolved, the matters of ownership and payment had to be determined. The commission recommended "the bridge be built, owned and maintained jointly by the two states." The cost division was to be 60 percent for New York and 40 percent for Vermont. The commission further recommended the structure be a toll bridge. Once sufficient revenues had been collected to cover construction costs and associated interest the bridge would therefore be free to the public. This event occurred in 1987 and the long-standing tollbooths were dismantled.
In 1927 Vermont and New York drew up a working agreement to commence bridgework and building commenced in earnest. Chimney Point's historical significance was expendable when constructing the approach venue.
As for the Crown Point terminus, portions of the road probably buried the remains of the 18th century French colonial village. No archaeological surveys were required previous to construction. Some historical record was certainly lost, but history did not present a primary concern, only the bridge.
There was another factor that did not play a role in the bridge plan: the operating ferries. There existed no economic impact statement. Once Chimney Point had been selected it was assumed the ferry at that location was "officially sacrificed."
The firm of Merritt, Chapman & Scott Corp. was responsible for completing the bridge foundation for $385,000. The American Bridge Co. received the steel superstructure contract for $535,177.05. Land acquisition was critical. For New York the problem was easily averted for its bridge terminus would stand on the state-owned Crown Point Reservation.
The Vermont Legislature made allocation for using the right of eminent domain if landowners were unwilling to sell their property. In the case of Chimney Point landowner, Millard F. Barnes, this was the case.
Bridge piers had to set on bedrock to guarantee stability. Borings had proved this layer to be 100 feet below the water level. Work commenced in June and by Dec. 21, 1928, all piers were completed.
Meanwhile, the American Bridge Co. had secured the bridge steel and had the steelwork fabricated at its plant in Elmira, N.Y. The steel trusses were being assembled on the site by Dec. 1, 1928. Regardless of the bitter winter weather, the span grew every day.
At 4 p.m. on June 20, 1929, the last two girders were placed in the 434-foot center supporting arch officially connecting the structure and tying together Vermont and New York for the first time since floating bridges linked the Revolutionary War forts at Mount Independence and Ticonderoga more than 150 years earlier. The center truss towered 140 feet above the water.
As the steel span grew, Scott Brothers Construction commenced building the roadbed. The floor and the paving of the approaches would consume 4,500 tons of reinforced concrete. It was the work of this contractor that partly determined the date when the bridge could be dedicated and opened to traffic. A meeting to resolve any other factors for dedication occurred on July 29, 1929.
That day, the governor of Vermont, John E. Weeks, and New York's governor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, met at the bridge and became the first officials to cross the structure. The governors examined the New York approach and then crossed the bridge to view the bridge from the Vermont side. Also present were members of the Champlain Bridge Commission and a significant New York press contingent. After crossing one additional time the governors set the date of Aug. 26 for the official dedication and opening.
Newspaper articles commented on the speed of rapid construction. From the awarding of the contract in May 1928 it took 15 months to complete the structure. Comparisons were made against other recently built bridges, which had taken longer to complete. The Champlain Bridge crews had beaten the finishing times of the Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson and the Peace Bridge spanning the Niagara River.
With a dedication date, wheels rolled in preparation. This celebration was not to be your normal dedication; plans were laid to make it one of the greatest. The most difficult element was coordinating the activities between the states. Both states planned parades featuring floats and decorated automobiles, a water parade featuring vessels from yacht clubs, airplanes and seaplanes hovering over the new bridge, bands playing, the 125-member Green Mountain Chorus from Rutland singing and the governors delivering addresses commemorating the bridge opening. It would be a day not to be forgotten.
Rutland formed its own planning committee and the mayor vowed he would be in attendance with two bands, a float in the form of the Green Mountains and decorated cars.
Cooperation prevailed. It was decided that after the ribbon cutting the New York parade would proceed first in crossing the bridge, turn around and repeat. Then it would be Vermont's turn to cross. Maj. Leonard Wing of the National Guard and Rutland would direct the Vermont parade.
When Monday, Aug. 26, arrived, the weather was superb. The event was grand. Papers covered the dedication in depth and their headlines described the importance of the day plus some of the problems: "Thousands See Dedication Of Lake Champlain Bridge," "Thousands of Automobiles Carry 40,000 People to Witness the Opening of Champlain Bridge" and "Worst Traffic Jam in Vermont's History." While young Ferris cut the ribbon, Weeks and Roosevelt, clasped hands at the center of the bridge and a plaque was also unveiled commemorating the event. Then the governors walked over the bridge from Vermont to New York where they mounted the reviewing stand to watch the first parade. For two hours the parade continued and officials had to halt its movement so the dedication exercises could occur.
Both governors delivered speeches saluting the event.
In his comments Weeks said: "This region, famous during the last two centuries of its history for its strategic importance in war, is now to be known for its service in the interest of peace as it ministers to business and to recreation."
"There is probably no body of water in the Western Hemisphere around which centers so many events of historic importance as are recorded concerning Lake Champlain and its tributary Lake George."
"The two Commonwealths meet here once more in the persons of their officials and their citizens — this time to open an interstate bridge, the first highway bridge across Lake Champlain, which will bind more closely the people and the interests of the two states."
In his comments Roosevelt said: "May this event mark the beginning of reunion of Vermont and New York, not in the sense of a change of sovereignty or any government but in the spirit of fellowship and friendship."
"This bridge should be regarded not merely as a better means of communications for tourists and vacation seekers — it will be of practical and definite use in the neighboring populations in both states.
"I venture to prophesy that within a few years people will wonder how we were able to get on without this bridge until now."
Roosevelt did express in his speech one concern, which troubled him regarding the bridge and Vermonters: "Are you coming over here and going to make New York State Republican or are we going to slide across that bridge in the dead of night and make Vermont Democratic? Stranger things than the latter have happened."
Once finished, the parade continued and continued. The traffic jam was impressive, being described as "one of the worst jams ever known," and it even delayed the arrival of the Green Mountain Chorus so it could not participate in the ceremony. Traffic backed up 12 miles as nearly 4,000 automobiles, decorated floats and bands waited to cross the span. Many did not have the opportunity to cross until night.
The spectacle awed the estimated 40,000 in attendance. The parade attracted much attention, the bridge was decorated with banners, flags and bunting, a water parade of boats cruised under the bridge and above airplanes circled overhead. One plane boldly flew under the new span barely above the water.
The Champlain Bridge had opened with a flourish and with the cutting of a ribbon had been brought "to fruition the dream of a century and setting in motion long lines of vehicular traffic which promise to go on and on for centuries to come."
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