The Michigan Bridge That Stumped Ripley’s Believe It Or Not
If you were a kid in the 2000s, Ripley's Believe It or Not was a hit at the book fair. The large, shiny, lenticular books were instantly recognizable, and even though they weighed like 200 pounds, I would stuff them in my backpack every morning. I loved finding odd people and places from Michigan.
I learned about a Michigan oddity that appeared in an edition of Ripley's over 70 years ago, and it's still around. Have you heard about the bridge in Manistique that, instead of taking you over the river, appeared to bring you through it?
Let's take a look at the fittingly named Siphon Bridge on the west side of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
The Believe-It-Or-Not-Bridge
What made the Siphon Bridge such a mystery was its design and how it appears to break the laws of physics. Built in 1919, this bridge did the opposite of what most bridges do: it was built below the water level, with the water itself helping hold the bridge up.
READ MORE: 67 Years Ago, A Man Flew An Airplane UNDER The Mackinac Bridge
According to the Schoolcraft County Historical Society, the river flume constructed around the river is the source of the illusion. A paper mill was in need of a higher water flow, but building a dam would have posed a flood risk. Check out this video by Archibald History to understand how river flumes work.
Instead, the flume let water flow at a higher level, while special railings kept it from overtaking the bridge. It's mind-boggling math that people far smarter than me figured out, but it was effective in providing the flow needed for both the paper mill and the town without disrupting it.
Meanwhile, Ripley's Believe It or Not was created about the same time as the bridge in 1918. bridge, but it didn't catch the attention of the book until 1956. Below is the cartoon Ripley made about the bridge.
Back in the day, this bridge mesmerized passersby, but today the Manistique River is much lower and no longer creates this effect. Still, the bridge and its accompanying tower serve as key landmarks in the region.
