Before the Bridge book

Before the Bridge, a commemorative publication timed to appear before the Mackinac Bridge opened to traffic in November 1957, was a project of the St. Ignace Kiwanis Club.  The book was researched and written primarily under the leadership and supervision of Club member, Emerson Smith.

Copies of the book remained unavailable for decades until a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs helped the Club produce a limited-edition printing in 2003.  Limited supplies remain available.

The 1957 directory is interesting, historical, and still very useful today.  It will inform future generations of facts about the individuals and families, as well as the businesses and organizations which were in St. Ignace before the bridge.