One of Michigan’s Oldest Keystone Bridges: Ramsay, Michigan 1891

In the historic small town of Ramsay in Gogebic County rests one of Michigan’s largest stone bridges. I say “rests” because it is also one of the oldest.

This classic keystone bridge hovers 57 feet across the Black River, built in 1891 for a little over 48 thousand dollars. It was constructed by the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad to transport loads of iron ore. The train tracks have been long ripped out but the bridge has been able to maintain itself and looks like it’s still in decent shape.

The bridge is impressive due to its height, and also for the outstanding stone work. For being approximately one hundred and thirty years old, this old bridge has truly outlasted many other bridges, even some that were erected long after this one.

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Ramsay, just east of Bessemer, has another bridge just as historic: the aptly-named Ramsay Bridge, one hundred and thirty feet long, built over the Black River in 1922. The fun part of visiting these two side-by-side bridges is viewing one from the other. Great photo ops here! Plus, just down the old Main Street that crosses over the Ramsay Bridge are some crumbling old buildings that you pass by on the way to Horseshoe Bend, featuring one of Ramsay’s old neighborhoods.

The town of Ramsay itself is also a sight to behold, with many original old buildings still standing and a countryside that is breathtakingly beautiful in the fall, which you will see for yourself in the photo gallery below!

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