Having been a bridgetender for nearly 23 years, I believe I’ve established the fact that I love all things drawbridge-related. Additional evidence abounds, from the very name of this blog, to my Drawbridge Lovers Facebook group, to the animated video of me discussing this very topic that was created by StoryCorps. Based on those bona fides, I should have been able to bat the following post right out of the park. So, why has it taken me 6 months to even start to write it?
Any seasoned bridgetender will tell you that Chicago is sort of the spiritual center for drawbridge enthusiasts. There are 37 drawbridges in the windy city, which is impressive by any standard. The only city with more of them is Amsterdam. It has 65, some of which you can even sleep in. But those movable bridges get lost in Amsterdam’s sea of 1200 bridges, especially since they are not located in the city center, where the tourists are content to gaze upon the charming fixed bridges across the smaller canals. In Amsterdam, the drawbridges are the understudies. In Chicago, they are the stars of the show.
Writing about one’s spiritual center would be daunting for all but the most arrogant of humans. How do I do this justice? How to I explain to mere mortals the majesty of Chicago’s drawbridges? To say I’ve been intimidated (and procrastinating) is putting it mildly. So wish me luck, Dear Reader. Here goes.
To begin with, Chicago got its first drawbridge in 1835. It was made of wood, like those you might find over a castle moat, and it was lifted by ropes. It broke a lot.
By the 1840’s, bridgetenders actually lived on site on many of the bridges, and according to the museum’s website, “The life of a bridgetender was far from dull. Almost daily, they might have to put out a fire, break up fights with tramps, divert suicide attempts, or save the lives of those who fell off bridges.”
I have heard heroic stories about bridgetenders during the great Chicago Fire of 1871 who refused to raise their bridges as instructed (in a futile attempt to stop the fire’s spread). Instead, they allowed people to flee the flames. Way to think independently, guys!
I have yet to put out a fire, and I let the cops deal with the fights, but I have witnessed many a suicide attempt, and a few of my colleagues have saved some lives. I can’t imagine living on site and dealing with this job 24 hours a day, drama or no drama. These guys made $60 – $150 a month back then. They also had to be bonded, and were given police powers. My hat is off to these early bridgetenders.
Of the 37 movable bridges that Chicago has today, 32 are on the Main, North, and South branches of the Chicago River, and 5 are on the Calumet River. The Calumet River bridges are quite active, opening 5-6,000 times a year, mostly for commercial vessels. Only 7 of Chicago’s bridges are manned 24 hours a day, and all but two of them, of course, are on the Calumet.
Currently, Chicago’s 18 Drawbridges along the main branch of the Chicago River only open two seasons a year, unless you count lifts for maintenance purposes and construction projects. In the spring, around April-June, they do openings up to 20 days to allow vessels to head out to Lake Michigan, where the sailboats can cavort all summer long. In the fall, around September to November, they open once again to allow the vessels to return to the boat yards so that they can avoid the harsh winters on the lake. These openings usually occur on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and only happen if sailing vessels have signed up for the transit.
These seasonal openings are a well-coordinated dance. According to Chicago’s Bridge Operations Office, it takes about 13 bridge operators to perform it, if you also count those who are on the ground, ensuring that pedestrians and cars remain clear. Many of these people leapfrog down the line to other bridges after opening their first one. It can take a sailboat around 3-4 hours to transit all these bridges.
Bridgetenders the world over have heard of the Drawbridge Museum in Chicago. I may be biased, but I genuinely believe that drawbridges need such a museum, as there are so many things about them that would interest the public. I know I’ve collected drawbridge memorabilia, and I’m sure there’s a lot more out there.
Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the place is called the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum. I had been in contact with Josh Coles, the Museum’s Director, for several months. He was the one who clued me in as to when the first bridge opening of the season was tentatively scheduled. I have wanted to bear witness to this spectacle for my entire bridgetending career, and in fact I scheduled my trip to Chicago accordingly. I was so excited!
Sadly, Josh informed me the night before that it was not to be. Since one of the drawbridges was malfunctioning (not at all surprising given the age of these things and their lack of use), of course no vessels would be able to pass through that one, so there was no point in opening any of the others. It turns out that the first opening of this season was not possible until October 21st. (I bet a lot of boaters were pissed.)
Despite this crushing disappointment, on September 28th, Dear Husband and I made our way to the museum, and while it is, indeed, located in the five stories of one of the Michigan Avenue Bridge tenderhouses, the displays are mainly related to the Chicago River, its history and ecology, and how the river’s direction was reversed in 1900, a feat of engineering that was 13 years in the making. But while there, you can see the gears of the bridge close up, some very vintage drawbridge equipment and imagery, and at the top of the tower you can enjoy the spectacular view and see where this bridge has been operated since its opening in 1920. That, of course, was my main focus.
We shared the experience with a large group of teenagers who were apparently on a field trip. They probably had anticipated witnessing a bridge opening as well. All of them were sitting around on various levels looking bored silly, as is typical of most teenagers. I wanted to shake them. Can’t you see what an amazing place you are in? Don’t you understand the history of it? Can’t you tell that you’re time traveling?
Apparently not. We spent a great deal of time taking photographs of the displays over their heads as they rolled their eyes. But it was worth it, because I got to stand in the very heart of my spiritual center. I had to forgive these kids for their blasphemous behavior. They knew not what they did.
Here are a few of the many photos we took of the well-designed displays and gorgeous views.
After enjoying the museum, we met Josh and his assistant Hunter, and had a really engaging conversation with both of them. I pointed out things from a bridgetender’s perspective that they hadn’t thought about, such as the fact that the poor bridgetender had to run down 5 flights of stairs every time he had to use the bathroom, and also that he had an enviable view with very few blind spots while operating the bridge. I bought a ton of souvenirs, too, including a DVD entitled Chicago Drawbridges.
If you ever visit Chicago, know that this museum is closed in the colder months, but if the timing is right, check it out. I just read that you can rent the place out for special events. Note to self: If ever in Chicago again, I’ll have to ask Josh if I could spend the night there, just once. All I’d need is an air mattress and some pillows and blankets. That would be seriously cool.
As we explored Chicago, I was impressed by how ornate some of these bridges were. It’s quite clear that Chicagoans love these bridges. In fact, one guy loved them so much that he was discovered living amongst the trusses of the Lakeshore Bridge in 2004. He had pilfered their electricity, and had set up a space heater, a TV, and a Nintendo. His home tilted on the rare occasion that there was a lift, but mostly he was quite content for 3 or 4 years until he got caught. I’d love to talk to that guy.
Here are some photos that we took during our Chicago visit:
By the way, that famous bridge jump in the Blues Brothers movie was over a Chicago Bridge, the East 95th Street Bridge over the Calumet River. Yes, it’s a cool scene, but it’s every bridgetender’s worst nightmare. Many people have attempted to duplicate it all over the world. None that I know of have been successful. Several have died for their troubles. At best, you’re creating a lot of paperwork for some irritated bridgetender.
I’m also told that these bridges are featured in a Transformers movie. Cars on the bridge slide off. Apparently it took 2 ½ days to film that scene, but Chicago DOT enjoyed the experience.
So, I was to head back home to Seattle without seeing the dance of the Chicago Bridges after all. It was kind of like going to Oz and not seeing the wizard. But I did experience a bit of a tease. Our hotel was not far from the river, and late one night, around 3 am, I heard a horn signal indicating that a bridge was going up. They must have been doing a test opening. I was tempted to hop out of bed and run down the street in my bare feet and pajamas, but in the end, logic prevailed. By the time I got there, the opening would be complete anyway, and baby, it was cold outside.
@bridgehousemuseum
My book would make a great gift. Just sayin’. http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5
The View from a Drawbridge 