Bay City Walking Dredge No. 489

Bay City Walking Dredge No. 489. . , How the Bay City Walking Dredge No. 489 was saved, Bay City Walking Dredge No. 489 was built in Bay City, Michigan in May, 1924 and was shipped to W.R. Wallace and Co. of Fort Myers, Florida. The dredge was later sold to Alexander, Ramsey and Kerr, a construction company controlled by Barron Collier. During 1927-1928, the dredge was used to construct that portion of the Tamiami Trail (US41) beginning at Black Water River and extending Northwest ten miles to Belle Meade Crossing (intersection of US41 and FL951)., At the completion of the Tamiami Trail in 1928 the machine was stored at the intersection of US41 and FL92. Mr. Meece Ellis bought the parcel of land at that intersection and established a filling station, restaurant and motel business which still exists. Later the dredge was moved to the adjacent County Park. In 1947 the Collier-Seminole State Park was created from the County Park and the dredge remained as a permanent exhibit. Bay City Walking Dredge No 489 is the last known dredge of its type. It was attacked by Hurricane Andrew during August 1992 but survived undamaged., Specifications for Bay City Walking Land Dredge No. 489, Span - 33 ft. , Front crossbeams - 12” 31.8# Beams - 40 ft. long. , Two center longitudinal Beams - 12” - 31.6# Beams - 28 ft. long. , Two outside longitudinal Beams - 10"- 25# Beams - 28 ft. long. , One-Yard Muskegon Dipper 34° deep with Manganese Lip and Teeth H-292 with H-177-H-178 Dipper Hinge. , Three Dipper Teeth, Manganese H-408. , 8” Dipper Handle, 26 11 long with 5 pipe (3 ft. long in bottom). , 40 ft. Boom using 12” - 25# Channels. 1/2” x 12” Plates inside. , 50 H.P. Charter, two-cylinder Engine No. 8434. 24' Clutch Pulley. , Center shoes, 5 ft. x 12 ft. , Corner shoes, 5 ft. x 6 ft., Sectional Wood House with corrugated metal roof. , Cable Dipper Control , Steel Truss over rear axle, reinforced. , 1-1/2” Truss Rods under front and rear axles. , 24” Clutch Pulley Complete, 4” bore. , Swing tension device , Band type Ho'st Clutch 5/16” x 4” Asbestos Lining. , 1/2” x 12” Plate over front axle - 16 ft. long. , 30 ft. Bridge frames with 1/2” x 12” Plates underneath., Note: A complete one yard dredge with forty ft of boom, a thirty-six to thirty-nine ft. span, and a thirty-hp engine sold for about $4,000 in 1924.