QUESTION: Many people fondly remember the railroad trestle that crossed Front Street on the way to the lower harbor ore dock. How many years was it in use??

a. 40 years (1931 to 1971)

b. 90 years (1901 to 1991)

c. 50 years (1930 to 1980)

d. 25 years (1945 to 1970)

ANSWER: A. The trestle was not removed until 2000, but it was officially closed on Dec. 31, 1971, when shipments switched to Escanaba. Although many people were sorry to see the trestle go, Marion Sonderegger, a local descendent of John Longyear, was quoted as saying “It can never be restored to a thing of beauty because it never was (beautiful) when it started,” The steel trestle sections that were removed were used to rebuild multiple railroad bridges near Lublin, Donald, Wiergor, Stanberry, and Sheldon, Wisconsin.