Crossing the Canal

Book excerpt: The aerial bridge over the Duluth Ship Canal has been called "Duluth's Eiffel Tower" and the "gateway to the world," but no matter what lofty labels poets and politicians appluy to it, Duluth built its ffamous bridge for one simple purpose: Crossing the Canal. In 1871 the citizens of Duluth finished cutting a canal through Minnesota Point, turning the isthmus into an island and splitting the fledgling city in two. It would take almost 35 years before a safe, permanent, and truly unique bridge was built to cross the canal and reunite Duluth with the community of Park Point, making the city whiole again. Crossing the Canal tells the complete story of the bridge, from cutting the canal through the bridge's 100th anniversary, separating facts from myths while creating a vivid picture of the life of Duluth's iconic landmark. A finalist for the Minnesota Book Award.