Mackinac Bridge Collection
Collection Scope and Content Summary
Collection, 2007-2009, of material about the Mackinac Bridge, the bridge that connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. Includes a special edition of Michigan History magazine, "The Mighty Mac at 50," July/August 2007 as well as the nomination package compiled by the Michigan Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers which was looking to recognize the Mackinac Bridge as an ASCE National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in September 2009.
Dates
- 2007-2009
Language of Material
English
Conditions Governing Access
Available for use in the Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections.
Conditions Governing Use
Various copying restrictions apply. Guidelines are available from Michigan Technological University Archives & Copper Country Historical Collections.
Historical note
The Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the bridge (familiarly known as "Big Mac" and "Mighty Mac") is the third longest in total suspension in the world and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the Western hemisphere. The Mackinac Bridge carries Interstate 75 and the Lakes Michigan and Huron components of the Great Lakes Circle Tours across the straits and connects the city of St. Ignace on the north end with the village of Mackinaw City on the south.
The bridge opened on November 1, 1957, ending decades of the two peninsulas being solely linked by ferries. A year later, the bridge was formally dedicated as the "world's longest suspension bridge between anchorages." This designation was chosen because the bridge would not be the world's longest using another way of measuring suspension bridges. By saying "between anchorages", the bridge could be considered longer than the Golden Gate Bridge and also longer than the suspended western section of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge.
Extent
0.01 Cubic Feet (1 volume, 1 compact disc)
Abstract
Collection includes special edition of Michigan History magazine, "The Mighty Mac at 50," July/August 2007. Also includes compact disc containing the nomination package materials from the Michigan Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers for the recognition of the Mackinac Bridge as an ASCE National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, September 2009.
Acquisition
The Mackinac Bridge material was donated to the Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections on January 7, 2013.
- Title
- Mackinac Bridge Collection
- Author
- Elizabeth Russell
- Date
- 4/3/2013
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections Repository