Pigeon River

History

Viewers glancing at a map of northwest Ontario and Minnesota might be wondering how Pigeon River would ever qualify for ghost town status. There is no townsite at the Pigeon River border crossing nor was there ever one. The highway itself is so devoid of commercial activity that one almost wonders if they only come out when the moon is full.

It wasn’t always like that. The small border crossing appearing on today’s maps first opened in 1963. Prior to that travellers crossed on a different road, passing through a small, but vibrant roadside tourist hamlet, lined with hotels, restaurants, and other busy commercial facilities.

The old border town of Pigeon River had its beginnings in 1916. Members of business establishment in the former twin cities of Port Arthur and Fort William (now Thunder Bay) formed a chapter of the Rotary Club, under the auspices of the Rotary Club in Duluth, Minnesota. The group initially consisted of 23 founding members, one of whom was William Scott, a lumberman and owner of the Pigeon River Lumber Company.

The two clubs shared a close bond and the lack of a roadway between the Twin Cities and Duluth was a source of frustration to many on both sides of the border. In addition to a roadway, they also needed a bridge to cross the gap at the Pigeon River, an international waterway that ran along both sides of the border.

An undertaking, such as an international bridge, required joint action on the part of both the Canadian and US governments. As expected, the process was both lengthy and time-consuming under the very best of conditions. The middle of the World War I most definitely was not the best of conditions. Accordingly, in order to save time and trouble, the Rotarians decided to simply bypass government approval, raise the funds, and build the bridge on their own.

The project, spearheaded by Scott himself, involved construction of a wooden bridge across the gap, a deep gorge with the river running down the middle. “The bridge” he argued, “would not only link the roadway between the Twin Cities and Grand Marais, but would foster economic growth between Duluth and the Twin Cities.” It was a done deal. The project received unanimous approval from local and also provincial and state government officials on both sides of the border.

With an action plan in hand, the Rotary Club in Duluth quickly raised $1500. The Twin Cities and Cook County, Minnesota, each chipped in another $2000. D.B. Fegles, a Twin Cities member who ran an engineering and construction firm, drew up plans for the bridge at no charge. By the fall of 1916, the project had come to life.

During the winter of 1917, with the help of Scott, they hauled construction materials over to the gap at Pigeon River. Construction began in the spring and was complete by June, at cost.

The bridge officially opened with great fanfare on August 18, 1917. The ceremonies began symbolically with a motorcade heading south from the Twin Cities. It included 65 vehicles, 240 participants and a pipe band. A mobile motor and tire repair shop accompanied the parade. Those were likely welcome necessities in those early days when vehicle reliability was uncertain at best.

The group made its way to Grand Marais where a welcoming committee, including 75 Rotary members from Duluth, was there to greet them. By the time everyone arrived at the Cook County courthouse for the official opening, the crowd swelled to about 500. Officials from both the provincial and state governments made well-publicized appearances. Not surprisingly, federal government officials from both sides of the border were excluded from the guest list and the festivities.

George Howard Ferguson, Minister for the Department of Mines, Forests and Highways, and a later Ontario premier, officially opened the bridge. Ferguson was so thrilled with the project that he pledged an additional $768 to the Rotary Club to cover the remaining debts. They duly honoured William Scott, by naming the Canadian portion of the road “The Scott Highway.” They affectionately dubbed the bridge as “The Outlaw Bridge” since the US and Canadian governments never negotiated or signed an international agreement. In the meantime federal governments on both sides of the border hurriedly scrambled to establish temporary custom offices under canvas tents, while remaining uncomfortably silent.

By the early 1920s the roadway and bridge proved to be a boon for the local economy. With the beauty of the gorges and falls now open to the general public, tourism quickly became a major focal point of the area. The bridge was open to traffic from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

One of the earliest commercial establishments was the Pigeon River Hotel, located just north of the border crossing. The “hotel” was a rustic log structure opened in 1923 by Max Hurtig, a Port Arthur businessman. The business began as a lodge that included a store, rooms, a few additional cabins and a lunch counter. Hurtig, a dedicated and respected hotelkeeper, owned other hotels in Fort William, Geraldton and Beardmore. Although never rising to the status of a four-star establishment, the hotel was both popular and well managed. The Hurtigs later added beer sales, undoubtedly a big attraction during the American Prohibition.

Near the hotel stood a new customs house and three dwellings for the staff. A short distance east of the settlement stood the majestic Middle Falls. It quickly became a major draw for picnickers, sightseers, and photographers.

In addition to the hotels, Hurtig established the International Bus Lines in 1929. It was the first interurban commercial bus service in northern Ontario. Naturally all the Hurtig-owned hotels served as depots. The business was purchased by Greyhound in 1965.

The Outlaw Bridge served the needs of the area remarkably well over the short term however it was poorly built. By the late 20s, the bridge had grown quite rickety and accidents were becoming commonplace. At least one car reportedly plunged through the wooden railing into the river. Complaints were on the rise and this time politicians on both sides were listening.

Around 1930, authorities officially replaced the Outlaw Bridge with a new steel span. This time, they had an international treaty at hand. Though officially named the “Pigeon River Bridge,” the local moniker would endure for decades more – and with good reason. The area had become quite raucous, largely the result of ongoing binge drinking and alcohol smuggling. Those problems continued until the repeal of the US Prohibition in 1933. Following that, customs officials on both sides maintained a rigorous lookout for contraband cigarettes and alcohol. They jokingly identified one rock as “the crying rock.” That was where customs officials would smash the confiscated bottles of booze much to the dismay and horror of the smugglers.

Under Hurtig’s ownership, the hotel blossomed. Around 1930 they enlarged the hotel on the south, adding another section and a dormer, a new rooming house just behind the main hotel building and a group of small, private housekeeping cabins, described by one guest as “very nice.” In 1934 they opened a post office in the hotel with Willet Ross Crouch (likely a hotel employee) as the first postmaster. According to Hansard the hotel was a regular stopover for visiting provincial officials from various northern bureaus such as mines, and forestry.

The business included Hurtig’s three sons, Harry, Ben, and Morley, all of whom had associations with the hotel at one time or another. Ben took over as postmaster on May 1, 1935. The hotel and post office were open year round.

In 1937 the government officially upgraded the Scott Highway, renaming it the “King’s Highway 61.” Provincial authorities even established a tourism office; an oddity for such an isolated place. The Canadian border authorities also stepped up their operations and built a new drive-by customs office. And finally, the community grew by six new homes. There were two on the commercial strip and four more at the upper townsite, just north of the settlement where more land was available.

Traffic on the newly upgraded highway was increasing at a steady pace. The Hurtigs kept up and lost no time in expanding and improving the small townsite. For visuals, they strung a large banner advertising the hotel across the entire width of the road. By 1938 the business included a new ESSO service station with a garage and a bear pen in the back. The hotel was often the focal point for various cross-border events and celebrations.

The Hurtigs were excellent marketers. They began selling early postcards featuring the hotel from the time it first opened. Besides the hotel, the cards featured the busy highway, bears and deer cavorting in the pen, maps and humorous depictions. Over time the postcards found their way into homes all over North America. Having an in-house post office certainly helped.

Following the end of World War II, the hotel once again underwent a transformation. With the depression and war years fading into the past, and cross border traffic and tourism on the upswing, the Hurtigs opened a new red brick hotel just to the south of the old building. They relocated the restaurant and snack bar to the new hotel. Then they converted the old lodge to a gift shop, operated by Harry’s wife Gladys, a retailer, who also joined the family business. Morley Hurtig took over as postmaster after Ben passed away in 1949.

Gladys Hurtig was an experienced retail buyer, who had worked for Chapples Department Stores for many years. Now she had the opportunity to put her considerable expertise to serious work. Over time the gift shop grew to become an even bigger draw than the hotel. The shop carried everything from small mementos to expensive English bone china.

During the 1950s, a steady stream of bumper-to-bumper traffic passed through the tiny tourist hamlet on the Canadian side of Highway 61. The hotel boasted 40 rooms at a rate of $5.50 per day. The crossing was also a popular place for weekend partygoers from Thunder Bay.

Back in 1918 Minister Ferguson promised the people of Thunder Bay a park to complement their tourism. He followed through with a small 12-acre rest stop and roadside park at nearby Middle Falls. The Middle Falls Park grew in stature over the years and by the late 1940s was a busy commercial venture. It included, camp sites, a concession stand and a large concrete wading pool for the kiddies. There were several lookouts where people could stroll across and look down upon the majestic falls.

A few kilometres east of the park stood the trail entrance leading to the spectacular scenery at High Falls. The government officially transferred stewardship for the park from the Department of Highways to the Department of Travel and Publicity. They expanded the park and officially renamed it the “Pigeon River Provincial Park.” It was part of an overall major plan to increase tourism in the north.

While one branch of the government was busy expanding tourist facilities, another began conducting extensive road and traffic surveys. It quickly became clear that traffic had increased to the point where the old roadway was no longer adequate. This led to a joint effort between the US and Canada proposing massive changes and upgrades to the existing highway.

In the fall of 1960 a meeting took place at the Pigeon River Hotel. In attendance were seven officials from the Ontario Department of Highways, five officials from the Minnesota Highways Department. Other representatives from the federal levels of both the US and Canadian governments also took their places. It was then that the government unveiled their final decision.

The plan was to completely realign the road bypassing the old border town by 11 kilometres downstream where they would erect a new bridge and customs office. The announcement was simple and clear. It was the end of the line for old Pigeon River Hotel and the small townsite.

The government completed construction on the new highway in 1963. They officially opened the new bridge in August of that same year. Following that, they unceremoniously downgraded the last leg of the old highway to a secondary road named “Highway 593.” By the end of the year the Pigeon River Hotel closed its doors after four successful decades of operation. They dismantled the old bridge and many of the buildings shortly after that.

Today not much remains at the site except for two original customs buildings, the government information office, one tourist cabin and the vast foundations of the hotel. Evidence of the old vegetable gardens and root cellar still exist behind the hotel foundations. Three homes, still used seasonally, remain at the upper site along with a couple of the old tourist cabins, relocated further up the road.

The Pigeon River Provincial Park remained popular for many years and actually enjoyed its best days during the 1970s. In the mid-1990s, the Ministry of Natural Resources compiled a report focusing on damage to the delicate ecostructure surrounding the Middle Falls. They determined much of the damage was the result of vehicular traffic and made the decision to ban all vehicles and close the tourist facilities.

The province officially closed the park in 2002 and reclassified it as “non-operating.” It remains open for hiking and day use. Today visitors can take an eerie stroll along the trails and see the old campsites, overgrown lookouts and the crumbling concrete wading pool, where 60 years ago children romped joyously in the water. Trail guides and maps are available at the Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park near Thunder Bay.

In a rather humorous and embarrassing piece of irony, the government historical monument telling the story of the Outlaw Bridge was cut from its base and stolen in August 2005. The police speculate it was taken by “souvenir hunters” and have yet to find the culprits and recover the sign.