Happy 50th Birthday, Mackinac Bridge
Erector Set Model of Bridge To Be Among Displays at Park
By Ryan Schlehuber

Forrest "Frosty" Wyrick of Farwell takes a break to pose with his 101-foot-long miniature version of the Mackinac Bridge Monday, July 23. The model will be displayed at Mackinac Bridge Authority's Bridge View Park for the 50th anniversary of the Mackinac Bridge. It is made up of 4,000 Erector Set toy construction parts.

When Larry Rubin first set eyes on the 101-foot-long Erector Set model of the Mackinac Bridge, built by Forrest "Frosty" Wyrick of Farwell, tears began to well up in his eyes.

Mr. Rubin, the first executive secretary serving the Mackinac Bridge Authority and author of "Bridging the Straits," was the guest of honor at the A.C. Gilbert Heritage Society national convention held in Mackinaw City Saturday, July 14, which is when he first saw the model in its entirety.

"I thought it was magnificent," Mr. Rubin told The St. Ignace News. "It was beautifully done."

Mr. Wyrick, a retired assistant director of facilities for Central Michigan University, began the project in 1999 after speaking with Mr. Rubin at a book signing. Mr. Wyrick thought of the idea after seeing a photograph of a smaller model of the bridge.

His model is made from thousands of Erector Set parts, using a once-popular toy construction set invented by A.C. Gilbert in 1911 and manufactured by his company in New Haven, Connecticut.

"I thought it was going to be easy to make," said Mr. Wyrick, until he found out that Erector Set discontinued its product in 1967 when the company went bankrupt. Mr. Wyrick joined an Erector Set enthusiast organization called the A.C. Gilbert Heritage Society, which includes 400 members from across the world. He was able to gather the thousands of parts from members who donated them to him after hearing about his project.

It took two years for Mr. Wyrick to collect the estimated 4,000 parts. It took almost six years to build the bridge.

"It now takes three days to erect," said Mr. Wyrick, who began setting up the large model at Bridge View Park Monday, July 23. It is the first time the model will be displayed outdoors.

It can be seen at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Mackinac Bridge, to be held this week.

Many of Mr. Wyrick's society colleagues wanted him to bring the model to a national convention, but because of its size and delicate structure, he was unable to travel out of the state, so the society decided to bring its convention to Mackinaw City, the first time the organization has met in Michigan.

"The model is really a tribute to the ironworkers who put the Mackinac Bridge together," said Mr. Wyrick. "The one thing I learned the most about doing this project is realizing what it took for those ironworkers to complete the bridge. Talking with some of them, it really put it in perspective just how hard and how great a risk it was constructing the bridge."

After seeing Mr. Rubin's reaction to viewing the completed model for the first time, "all the work and time I put into it was worth it," said Mr. Wyrick.

Mr. Wyrick is seeking a permanent home for the model, which he hopes will be in St. Ignace.

"There are a couple of groups downstate that are interested in keeping it there, but I believe it belongs up here," Mr. Wyrick said. "It would be great to have it displayed here at the Bridge Authority, or somewhere in St. Ignace or Mackinaw City."