Title: Dams - Redridge
Photographer: Bill Brinkman
Subject Headings: Disasters, Earthwork - Dams, Water
Condition: Fair
Description: The spillway at full capacity. On Easter Sunday of 1941 the Redridge Steel dam went over at flood stage, caused by the breaking and collapse of the beaver dams upstream on the tributaries of the Salmon Trout River tributaries. It was a period of heavy warm rains and melting snows and so the run off came crashing down into the steel dam. Logs, old row boats, and debris all came tumbling over the steel causing serious concern to the roadway below that just barely collapsed from the rising water between dam and roadway. The high water mark between dam and roadway was four feet. If the water had risen over that, the whole roadway would have collapsed cutting off traffic to Freda and Beacon Hill. This photo was taken in 1941 as the "gates" to the launder or spillway were crashing and collapsing. [Photo of rushing water through the dam gates.]
Source of Description: Back of Photo [Cataloger]
Institution: Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections
Donor: William Brinkman
Date of Photo: 1941
Medium: still image
Color: black and white
Size: 20.2 cm x 25.4 cm
Polarity: Positive
Image No: MS029-008-034-003
Collection Name: Bill Brinkman Collection
Terms of Use: Rights to reproduce and distribute this image may be restricted. Contact the Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections for further information.
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