1936-1937 Collapse of the Tannery Bridge Caused Controversy

The new Tannery bridge as it appeared in the Manitowoc Herald-Times on December 6, 1937.

In May 1936, the east end of the Tannery bridge, spanning the East Twin River in the Town of Two Rivers, collapsed. The rotted piling of the single span 80-foot iron and wooden bridge, built in 1902, was damaged beyond repair.

The closed bridge prevented students living west of the river in School District No. 2 from reaching the Tannery School, east of the river, except by a distant route – a tremendous inconvenience for rural residents. The bridge, near the northern limits of the city of Two Rivers, was in the west half of Section 25, Township 20 North, Range 24 East.

On June 8, 1936, a town meeting was held to discuss the matter of the wrecked bridge. At a special election on August 11, voters approved building a new bridge for $12,000. Later that month, the town board petitioned the Manitowoc County Board of Supervisors for one-half of the construction cost, as stipulated under state bridge laws.

In November, the town board and county highway committee decided to take bids on a new bridge. Soil tests at the river crossing found that longer and costlier pilings were needed to support the weight of a concrete and iron span. With a low bid of $27,457, a controversy developed as town board members insisted that local residents be allowed to vote again on the added cost to replace the bridge.

With the bridge replacement question still undecided, flood waters from torrential rains on Sunday, February 21, 1937 completely demolished the partially wrecked Tannery bridge, dropping the span down into the stream. A two-span bridge, costing $14,000, was favored by town and county officials.

Complications arose when the town board gave a $6,159 contract to the Northfield Iron Co. of Minnesota for structural steel without competitive bids and the county highway committee refused to sanction the start of work until detailed plans and sketches were submitted.

By May 1937, the Northfield Iron Co. released the town from its contract and the town board and county highway committee reached an agreement to solicit new bids. In September, the town board awarded a $15,000 contract to build an iron and concrete bridge to Zendala Construction Co., Manitowoc. Plans for the new bridge, drawn by former Manitowoc city engineer Theodore Staeffler, specified two 40-foot spans with a center pier, 20-foot roadway and cement abutments at each end. By the first week of October, work on bridge approaches was underway and materials for the rest of the span were ordered.

On December 6, the Manitowoc Herald-Times reported the new Tannery bridge was completed and would open to traffic that week.

On the cold afternoon of Saturday, December 11, 1937, the Tannery bridge was dedicated. Local attorney Lyman Fischer addressed the crowd gathered. Ten-year-old George Staeffler, son of the bridge designer, cut the ribbon, officially opening the bridge to travel. Following the ceremony, lunch and refreshments were served at the town hall.

The final cost of the Tannery bridge was $16,973.37, with the $1,973 deficit paid by the town. During November 1938, the county board approved a bridge aid payment of $986.69, or one-half of the deficit, to the town.

In 1962, the Tannery bridge was widened eight feet at a cost of $15,000. The modified bridge was replaced in 1992 by the current 85-foot two-span concrete bridge.

The Tannery Bridge today connects 45th Street in the City of Two Rivers and CTH VV in the Town of Two Rivers.