Mackinac Bridge Ceremonies To Begin at 12:30 p.m. Thursday
Top 20th Century Engineering Feat Noted

In this June 28, 1958, photograph taken on the deck of the Mackinac Bridge, on each side of speaker Prentiss M. Brown are two green ribbons, one originating in St. Ignace and the other in Mackinaw City. Once tied together, the 22,700-foot-long ribbon served as a symbol of the bridge uniting the state's two peninsulas. Nancy Williams, wife of Governor G. Mennen Williams, and Marion Brown, wife of Mr. Brown, were given the honor of connecting the two pieces. This year, to honor that event, a ceremonial green ribbon will be cut November 1 at the toll booth plaza to mark the bridge's 50th anniversary. (Photograph courtesy of Mackinac Bridge Authority)

Thursday, November 1, will mark the 50th anniversary of the first automobile to cross the Mackinac Bridge. The historic day in 1957 will be commemorated by the Mackinac Bridge Authority with a series of events, all open to the public. They include two dedications, a ribbon cutting, and special birthday cake.

Events will begin at 12:30 p.m. at Bridge View Park in St. Ignace, just west of the toll booth plaza, where a plaque dedicated to the late Senator Prentiss M. Brown will be unveiled by the State Bar of Michigan. Another plaque will be presented by the Michigan Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, which, in 1999, named the bridge the top civil engineering project of the 20th century.

A ceremonial ribbon cutting will follow at the toll plaza, and complimentary birthday cake will be served to those attending. Topped with a replica of the 50th anniversary token, the cake will be made by St. Ignace baker Glory McLennan.

A U.S. Congressional tribute to the bridge also will be presented during the ceremony, and a drawing for a Mackinac Bridge tower tour will be held. Two weekend vacation packages will also be awarded, one for St. Ignace and one for Mackinaw City.

Those crossing the bridge Thursday will receive a souvenir card marking their November 1, 2007, crossing, similar to one given to travelers 50 years ago.

Anniversary memorabilia will be available for purchase at the park, including uncirculated tokens, 50th anniversary T-shirts, "Our Bridge at 50" DVDs, a special issue of Michigan History magazine featuring the Mackinac Bridge, and Mackinac Bridge books by former MBA Executive Secretary Larry Rubin of St. Ignace.

Bridge View Park can be reached off US-2 from Boulevard Drive or is accessible from I-75 at Graham Avenue north of the toll plaza.