New Mt. Desert Bridge 1a.

New Mt. Desert Bridge 1a.

New Mt. Desert Bridge The New Bridge from Trenton to Mount Desert. The New Mt. Desert Bridge connecting Trenton and Mt. Desert Island officially opened on Memorial Day 1920 with a huge celebration. The newspapers reported more than 20,000 people were there, the largest gathering of people in Hancock County to that date. There was a parade and clambake. The bridge was dedicated to the members of our armed forces just home from the Great War, World War I. This picture must have been taken shortly after the dedication as the debris from the dedication stage is in the foreground of the picture. The towers shown carried electrical transmission lines from the mainland to Mt. Desert Island. The new bridge replaced a bridge built in 1836. Before the first bridge was built the crossing from Trenton to Mt. Desert Island was by ferry. Both the original bridge and the one in this picture were swing bridges, drawbridges that open by pivoting in the center. They were also both toll bridges. The house and building to the right of the bridge was the tollhouse. In 1960 this bridge was replaced with the present one. The dedication plaque from the 1920 bridge is affixed to the northeast side of today's bridge.