Old US 41–Backwater Creek Bridge
bridge in United States of America
The Old US 41–Backwater Creek Bridge is a bridge located on an abandoned section of US Highway 41 (US 41) over Backwater Creek in Baraga Township, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
History
In 1913, the state of Michigan authorized the construction of trunkline roads through the state. A main trunkline route through Baraga County was designated, extending from Michigamme to Chassell. By 1915, the trunkline had been completed, and the Baraga County Road Commission spent the remainder of the decade slowly improving the route, regrading segments and replacing some bridges.
One of the improvements along the route was the construction of a bridge across the end of Keweenaw Bay, two miles (3.2 km) south of Baraga. The Michigan State Highway Department designed a long-span pony truss bridge for the crossing, designated State Trunk Line Bridge No. 86. In 1917, the department awarded contracts for the construction of the bridge: Smith-Sparks Construction Company was awarded $5,414.20 to fabricate the concrete substructure, and the Northwestern Bridge and Iron Company fabricated and installed the truss for $4,536.00. The structure was completed in 1918.
The public source identifies “Old US 41–Backwater Creek Bridge” as bridge in United States of America. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Backwater, Creek and Bridge.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Old US 41–Backwater Creek Bridge”, the useful work is to connect “bridge in United States of America” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 3, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7085347. Authority coordinates are 46.754, -88.495. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1999, 1913, 1915 and 1917.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
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Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Old US 41–Backwater Creek Bridge”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Old US 41–Backwater Creek Bridge primary sources, Old US 41–Backwater Creek Bridge archive and Backwater research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Old US 41–Backwater Creek Bridge” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.