Black's Bridge has ferried Montrealers over the Lachine Canal from Common Street to Mill for over 160 years, bringing people up from the bustling, ancient portside world of Old Montreal through the bones of industry to the Victoria Bridge.Black's Bridge swiveled open for ships during the lengthy era when the Lachine Canal offered an aquatic detour around the ferocious waters of the Lachine Rapids.
Philorome Groux and other gatemen would swing the swingbridge whenever a ship came through, leading to a compelling sight to onlookers, but also forcing a frustrating delay to the many who sought to cross by foot, horse, motor vehicle or tram.
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Black's Bridge still spans at the same spot but has been stripped of its swingbridge technology, its black metal structure, as well as its magnificent heritage, purpose and history.
It now just sits there modern and anonymous and unmarked like any other nameless modern stretch of road.
Almost nobody knows its name or its contribution as a place of drama and an important transportation hub.**
Black's Bridge was named after, well, we're not sure who, but it was surely someone named Black, as newspaper articles consistently employ the name from at least 1857.
French officials referred to it as Pont Noir, as indicated by a bilingual sign on the bridge in the 1960s.
Countless deaths, drownings and drama took place around the span, including one which saw an unidentified, respectably-attired woman aged about 40, found frozen to death behind one of the piers on 30 December 1859.
Ann Dawson perished after falling drunk off the bridge in May 1879 as did many others. (See below for more events).
Travelers relied heavily on Black's Bridge until the 1960s as it offered an important method of getting to the Victoria Bridge, which long served as the only span over the St. Lawrence. It became less essential for that journey after 1967 when the Bonaventure Expressway opened.
The first thing one saw crossing south on Black's Bridge was the eye-catching home of Thomas McCord, who owned much of Griffintown. Stone walls still stand where the was.
Further down Mill stood a hotel, a horse market and a baseball field, where some of Montreal's earliest games were played. Buffalo Bill performed at the field on Mill on a visit to Montreal. (More details about Mill Street in my absolutely-must-read Montreal 375 Tales).Mill ends at Bridge Street near the small, hardscrabble Irish neighbourhood of Goose Village, demolished in 1964.
Black's Bridge connected two worlds, one booming with commerce and rowdy sailors and the other housing a tight-knit neighbourhood of hardworking, hard-drinking labourer families.
The bridge remains an essential part of Old Montreal history and needs needs to be recognized by a plaque. Ideally it should also some of architectural elements restored to denote its longtime identity as an important component of Old Montreal.
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Black's Bridge in history
-Norwegian Richard Jensen, 21, fell off the Duxe in the new basin across from Black's Bridge and was found dead. 30 June 1879
-Unidentified man in his thirties found floating in the water beneath the bridge 5 June 1880
-Several barges collided, leaving massive damage, to the ships and their contents, three were believed to have to be strapped. 1 June 1880-Patrick Monaghan, 21, carter, charged with assaulting guardian at Black's Bridge. - 31 August 1880
-Coal dealer John Costigan found floating dead near the bridge - 13 Oct 1881
-Marie Lamontagne, 36, respectably-attired, attempted suicide by tossing herself off the bridge into the water.
. -Elizabeth McHugh, 60, Martin McHugh, 16, arrested stealing coal near the bridge - 21 July 1886 - \
-Man named Hickey suffered severe injuries when gored by an ox while crossing the bridge. - 14 June 1887
-Joseph Lebadeau's body was found in two halves floating in the water at Black's Bridge. The corpse was connected only by his pants. He had been suicidal and had been missing for three weeks. -24 Dec. 1894
-Gateman Philorome Groulx, 70, of 671 Desmarchais, collapsed and died at the bridge while at work. He worked the bridge from 1916-1934- 29 Aug 1934
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| June 1955 |
-Night squad police interrupted a midnight meal to apprehend a pair of youths on Black Bridge who had stolen 11 bags of sugar and attempted to flee in a stolen horse and buggy. - 14 Jan 1943.
-Edouard Aubin, 28, died after a streetcar detailed at Black's Bridge - 27 April 1944
Arthur Sanbhoy, 48, of 144 Murray drowned after his car crashed through the barrier at the north side of Black Bridge into the Lachine Canal - 25 Oct. 1944.
-Nick Goy, 51, drowned after cfalling into the water off Black's Bridge - 23 April 1948
-A woman, 33, tossed her 10 month old daughter into the water near Black's Bridge and then divd in after her. All were saved. - 26 June 1953.
-Truck driver Hubert Morrissette, 24, killed a Lewis William Muir, 48, of Verdun in an accident in and was charged with manslaughter. - Jan 1953
Black's Bridge in streetcar days and until recently was never a drawbridge. No raising or lowering. It was a swing bridge like most of the other Lachine canal bridges, which pivoted from the centre. The bridge on Lafleur and its newer late-50s twin in Ville St. Pierre/La Salle were actual drawbridges: heavy counterweights raised the deck to almost 90 degrees in the air.
ReplyDeleteAs for the other bridges the pivot mechanisms with large gear rings, stood on small islands in the middle of the canal which created upstream and downstream channels for the ships. The old CNR bridge between St. Ambroise and St. Patrick had the same design but was replaced by a simple, fixed girder affair in the 90s. The original CNR swing bridge at Wellington was displaced to accommodate the minor track serving the port from the Pt. St. Charles yards while a far heavier lift bridge was installed next to it once the high-level tracks leading to Central Station were constructed during WWII.
As one of your picture show, swing bridges had small "penthouses" in the centre of the span from which an employee activated signals for boat/rail/road traffic, as well as pivoting the bridge. If Black's Bridge had been a lift bridge, the employee would have needed a seatbelt or rapelling equipment when each ship passed.
You've come up with many interesting bits about old Blacks bridge but all I can remember about it was standing at the centerpoint of the bridge when it was opened just to ....I don't know, be a foolish kid I guess. It was the only crossing point for the Montreal and Southern Counties trams but autos could continue along Wellington St. and go through the tunnel near St Ann's Church, coming out the other side where you could do a left onto Bridge St. and then cross Victoria Bridge. Now well into my eighties, I remember it well.
ReplyDeleteTerry Flanagan
A Griff boy of yesteryear
Fantastic to hear from someone who actually remembers it functioning! Griffintown is a travesty. I remember just 15 years ago you could see so many cool old things that are now gone to condos etc...
DeleteI lived near Black's Bridge as a child. I used to like to watch the bridge opening and closing but I never went too near as I was afraid of falling in. There was a junk yard near-by that I used to play in. It had some abandoned little shacks in it that were fun. There was also a swamp that we would ride boards down - a small stream (Montreal waste, I think) but I was young. In the Winter, the snow would be unloaded near-by and the snow piles would be like a small mountain. I loved to climb them. There was a convenience store not too far away that sold Cracker Jacks. I remember when a facility that had an indoor pool opened. All is would have been in 1958.
DeleteI just remembered a few more details - I was only 7 turning 8. We lived in an upper flat that was very cold. It had only an ice box and a man would deliver a block of ice once a week or so. Also, there was a rag man who came around wanting rags, and someone who sharpened knifes. Our backyard had old sheds in it and we put on plays with the neighbour kids inside the sheds. There were a lot of grass-hoppers through the summer and I spent a lot of time catching them and putting them in jars (probably to scare my older sister). Our neighbour downstairs had bought an old car, and spent all his free time sanding the body, planning on painting it when it was done. Once I heard music coming down the street - today one would think nothing of this but this was the time before car radios, walkmans, or anything else except a live band that could produce music. We all ran outside and there was a marching band coming up the street. I don't know what the occasion would have been but it was very exciting. We followed them for awhile. Again, this all was 1958.
DeleteThanks Mtc, I found no explanation of its opening technology so I guessed it was a drawbridge but wasn't entirely convinced. Thanks for the input. I've edited.
ReplyDeleteThe diving board for the kids from Point St Charles they use to jump off it and go swimming with the rats.
ReplyDeleteHi - in 2017 you posted an article about all the deaths in the Lachine Canal. I’ve been doing extensive research that has led me to your post, and the John “Kenneth” death in April of 1959 is my grandfather. Our family name is actually Kennett and is commonly misspelled. Is there any way to contact you more directly to get more info from you or can you send a link to the source of your info? No one in our family has proof of death and this would bring us another step closer. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThere is a link right near his name to the original article in La Presse. Just click on it and shift it over to the right side a little down.
DeleteBlacks Bridge.
DeleteIn this film based on the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway narrated by Walter Cronkite, a scene of
canaller upbound thru the first Locks of the Lachine Canal is seen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDYfNUrjs0w
Between Times 5:13 and 6:00 a ship is shown entering the Lock, being lifted by water admitted thru the bottom of the Lock Gates, and then exiting the Lock,
In the final scene, a latticework structure to the right is a once trolley wire support for the Montreal & Southern Counties Ry. to St. Lambert and beyond.
Blacks Bridge to the Left.
At Time 5:24 a Deckhand is tightening down a Snubber thru which a cable passes to a Bollard on the Lock Wall
used to slow the ship as it enters the Lock chamber.
Thank You.