# Sunken Bridge at Mosquito



## Lawman60 (May 17, 2010)

I just spent the last three hours looking at a wonderful history of the creation of Mosquito Lake. In an earlier post I mentioned that my grandfather was one of the lumber contractors that cut out the lake. My father was with him at age 11-12. Although my granddad passed away when I was only 3, my father told me stories of the time he spent at the lumber mill that granddad set up in Mecca in 1944. He told me that the men of the crew slept in an old bus and one even had a working moonshine still cooking away in a wooded corner. It was a government project and a very welcome source of income for many hard pressed men of the day.
Dad told me how they used teams of horses to skid out the logs and the mill that granddad ran was built from the chaise of an old Model T Ford. He also told me how the lake flooded way too fast when the dam was opened. Thousands of logs were lost due to the flood. The unexpected rate the lake basin filled also stopped the removal of the main bridge that crossed Mosquito Creek at one of the widest spots. Instead of removing the bridge, it was dynamited while almost completely submerged. 
I don't know how she did it, but our good friend Linda, owner of Causeway Sporting Goods, compiled an in depth history, from the time before the Lake was started till today. She has a treasure trove of photos that I have been enjoying for hours now. In the old pictures is one of a little boy startling a log, being skidded out by a team of horses. Another shows an old bus that housed the day workers. 
A lot of us older guys find this rather nostalgic, but for me it was a peek into my own family's past. I can never be sure that it's my father sitting on that log, but I would like to think so. All the stories he told me many years ago just came to life. One picture shows the top couple feet of the bridge sticking out of the freezing water. That's the same dam bridge that has two of my anchors and countless crank baits and jigs.
It's the spot we have all looked for on our depth finders, now just a dark blob on a digital screen. I took two of Linda's pictures, scanned them onto my computer and did my best to improve the quality with my photo workshop. One has a horse drawn wagon crossing, and lush trees and bushes all around. It was the area swimming hole. I'm going to try to figure out how to post them, so stand by for an update as soon as I figure it out.
I can't thank you enough Linda! It meant a lot to me to see all of this.
Tight lines to all! John (lawman) I GOT IT!


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

John, great photos and story. seeing them brings back memories. my great grandmother Eutoka Nichols lived in a little house(yellow or maybe tan) on mecca circle. if you were floating above the circle, and 12 oclock was north (rt 46n), her house was 11 oclock. she also had a big barn in the backyard between the fire station and her house on the circle (it was more like a big storage bulding with a bunch of old antiques and junk in it). the house and barn are now gone, but i remember those days growing up out there on the causeway when we'd stay out there. that house was a treasure chest to a young boy and the barn, man me and my brothers would spend all day out there playing. i still can remember running down along the creek and then to the lake, well it wasnt much of a creek, i think its actually a ditch.lol. my grandparents (the brants) used to own the property that the moose lodge is now on. i sure wish my grandmother would of gave me that land instead of selling it right after my grandfather died. id like to see some more photos.


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## mirrocraft mike (Mar 17, 2006)

Very Cool. Thanks for sharing the story and pics.


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## All Eyes (Jul 28, 2004)

Too cool! I've lost a lot of tackle on that bridge over the years.  Thanks for the story!!!


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## markfish (Nov 22, 2007)

i love old history pics and it the shape i alwise thought it wouild look like and i can see a farm house right behind it on the right bet its one thats in there some were,i have fish that bridge alot and its hols some of mt lures and 1 fish rod.bet that old bridge looks like a bait shop down there hope to see more of the pictures thanks for the hard work markfish


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## Flippin 416 (Aug 18, 2005)

That is very cool...I enjoyed the pics and your story to go along with it. History is a great topic...especially when it includes your family.

Thanks for sharing!


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## CAUSEWAYCREW (Apr 15, 2004)

Ezibite, We use to play up there too. For hours and hours at a time. How were you related to cheryl ,Elmer and Tom Brant? We Went to school with them. All those old dolls she had just amazed me. Love the good old days Linda


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## CAUSEWAYCREW (Apr 15, 2004)

Glad you liked it , Lawman. It took me almost twelve years to get that info. I talk with a lot of people who were around during that time, and got all the info i could . I one day hope to put a book out about it. ( Maybe when we sell the business and I have more time. ) Linda


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## CAUSEWAYCREW (Apr 15, 2004)

Glad you liked it , Lawman. It took me almost two years to get that info. I talk with a lot of people who were around during that time, and got all the info i could . I one day hope to put a book out about it. ( Maybe when we sell the business and I have more time. ) Linda


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## peanut (Apr 9, 2010)

I have fished Mosquito for 30 years and always wondered what that lure thieving bridge looked like. Great story and awsome pictures. Thanks for sharing.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

CAUSEWAYCREW said:


> Ezibite, We use to play up there too. For hours and hours at a time. How were you related to cheryl ,Elmer and Tom Brant? We Went to school with them. All those old dolls she had just amazed me. Love the good old days Linda


thru my grandfather Clarence Brant, i think they were his brothers and sister or there children, not really sure, but im checking with a relative. yea, great grandma Eutoka had dolls and puppets all over that house. she lived to be 100 and drank hot tea with 2 sugar cubes.lol.


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## theishmaster (Jan 20, 2012)

Very cool.


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## Keys Cotrtrell (Mar 25, 2010)

Very interesting, learning about local history is always cool. Thank you for sharing lawman and linda. Dont know here the bridge is but im sure it has some lures of mine... haha!


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## eyecatchum2 (Mar 30, 2010)

Is that the bridge on the East side by the cemetery or on the West side in deeper water North of the island?


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

eyecatchum2 said:


> Is that the bridge on the East side by the cemetery or on the West side in deeper water North of the island?


more towards the east.


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## Wow (May 17, 2010)

Thanks Lawman. Great story. --Tim


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

eyecatchum2 said:


> Is that the bridge on the East side by the cemetery or on the West side in deeper water North of the island?


Find the cemetery, head West.


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## ducman491 (Oct 31, 2011)

Love the local history.


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## Lawman60 (May 17, 2010)

eyecatchum2 said:


> Is that the bridge on the East side by the cemetery or on the West side in deeper water North of the island?


This is my understanding after doing the research from Linda's book. I believe that the bridge I show on my post is the only bridge that was not removed prior to the lake filling up. It's the one off the road bed by the cometary. More east then west. The rest of the bridges were at least partially remover, such as iron work and road beds. Of course, there was a lot of concrete left and a good number of culverts that crossed the creek. If it hadn't been flooded so quickly, even that bridge was to be removed. Someone told me that they had prepared to float it out, but it was too heavy for any barge that they would be able to launch. I would really love to see a road map of that area before the impoundment. The one's I have seen are not detailed enough to show all the crossings, wether bridge or culvert. Of course, many of the crossings were only cow paths. I don't remember seeing any thing but stumps and rock piles where buildings had stood, when they did the big draw down in the mid 80's, but then, the creek bed was not really exposed. I've tried to see what's left of the bridge with my Aqua Vu, but the water is too cloudy to see much of anything. Tempted to dive the area, but it would be very, very dangerous with all the ragged rusted steel not to mention thousands of fish hooks. Just what it looks like now will remain a mystery. In my mind I can see huge flat head tucked under slabs of steel and concrete. But to be honest, I've only ever caught small crappie from above the structure it self. Oh yes, and an open umbrella once...lol
I'm just as curious about West Branch. My father him self worked cutting trees on that project in the early 60's. There must be a lot of the same stuff down there as well.


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## CAUSEWAYCREW (Apr 15, 2004)

If you go to my website, you can find out more about Mosquito lake history. www.CausewaySportingGoods.com Click on Mosquito history at bottom of page. Linda


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## eyecatchum2 (Mar 30, 2010)

I figured that was the bridge on the East, have found it with the locator and the Aqua-Vue, could see it really good in November the water was really clear, I could see steel beams and slabs of concrete - also saw an anchor. I was asking about East-West because I have a map that shows a bridge on the West side, on the same roadbed that I have looked for 2 or 3 times and have had trouble finding, maybe it was mostly removed and not much left.


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## Lawman60 (May 17, 2010)

eyecatchum2 said:


> I figured that was the bridge on the East, have found it with the locator and the Aqua-Vue, could see it really good in November the water was really clear, I could see steel beams and slabs of concrete - also saw an anchor. I was asking about East-West because I have a map that shows a bridge on the West side, on the same roadbed that I have looked for 2 or 3 times and have had trouble finding, maybe it was mostly removed and not much left.


I would love to see a copy of the map that you have. It must have been a small bridge crossing a feeder creek or a ditch of some kind, as it would be quite a distance from the actual Mosquito creek bed. I've tried my best to follow the road bed from one side of the lake to the other, and don't remember seeing any other major structure. But who knows? I wonder if that anchor was one of mine...lol There muct be a ton on them down there.


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