Building a movable link in 1864
In 1864, builder W. H. Parks constructed the first bridge between Whitehall and Montague across the White River. It was a swing bridge, designed to rotate so vessels could pass through the channel during the peak of the lumber era. Contemporary local history notes that the swing design specifically allowed lumber schooners to move freely while giving people a land route between the two towns.
Where it stood and why it mattered
The bridge crossed the White River at the narrows between the two communities, creating a crucial connection on White Lake. This crossing supported everyday travel and trade as the towns expanded from small lumber settlements into more established communities.
From swing span to camelback (1924)
By the automobile age, local and state leaders replaced the old swing span with a camelback concrete bridge in 1924. Historical transportation materials for the White Lake area and independent bridge inventories both list 1924 as the construction year. The camelback served the growing road network and carried what became the Business US-31 route across the river.
Lasting impact and modern replacement (1985)
That 1924 replacement helped formalize the White Lake causeway and supported tourism and commerce along the West Michigan corridor for decades. As traffic increased, engineers determined a wider structure was needed, leading to the construction of the current 4-lane bridge in 1985, which replaced the old 2-lane camelback. The modern bridge no longer includes a movable span, but it continues to symbolize the enduring link between Montague and Whitehall—an evolution from the lumber schooner era to today’s year-round highway traffic.
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