Historic U.S. 61: Old Highway at Palisade Head
Old Highway at Palisade Head
Located: 2.3 miles north of Silver Bay along the west side of State Hwy 61, at the south end of Palisade Head. In Beaver Bay Township, Lake County.
Historic Context: Part of the original North Shore Scenic Highway constructed in the 1920's.
Length: 0.3 miles (0.2 miles surviving, 0.1 miles of ruin).
Constructed: 1924
Bypassed: 1936 by construction of a new alignment.
Also Part Of:
Status: Surviving sections have fallen into disrepair and appear to have reverted to a gravel surface. Both are now private driveways. The two drives are separated by a 0.1 mile section that appears to have been abandoned and overgrown.
Access: Private, only the southern driveway is directly viewable from Highway 61.
More U.S. 61 Articles
North >> Old Baptism River Bridge and Highway
South >> Beaver River Bridges
A short stretch of the original North Shore Scenic Highway bypassed way back in 1936 survives near Palisade Head, a couple of miles north of Silver Bay. It was bypassed by the reconstruction of the highway between Beaver Bay and the Baptism River, smoothing out some of the curves and flattening hills on the original highway built in 1924.
After being bypassed, it was reused by local residents as a series of private driveways and as the foundation for at least one shed. The reconstruction of Highway 61 adjacent to the site in 2005/06 destroyed the very northern end of the old road.
Map
Key
- Green = Intact (private)
- Red = Possible grade ruin (clearing where road used to run)
- Orange = Old alignment, removed.
Map Notes
The default image used by Google (and thus the map above) is from 2003. Due to reconstruction of Highway 61 in 2005/06, the area shown on the map has changed.
Photos
The entrance from Highway 61 to the southern private driveway (photo taken in April, 2010).
Oblique Image taken by the Minnesota DNR in April, 2006, showing
the southern surviving portion of the old highway.
Another oblique Image taken by the Minnesota DNR in 2006, showing
the northern surviving portion of the old highway.
Sources
- MNDOT. Construction Project Log: Control Section 3807
- Minnesota Highway Department. Construction Plan for Trunk Hwy No. 61-1 Between Little Marais and Two Harbors: S.P. 61=1-01, June, 1923.
- Minnesota Highway Department. Construction Plan for Trunk Hwy No. 61=1 Between Baptism River and Beaver Bay: S.P. 61=01-29-1, Federal Aid Project 282-B.
