Bridge Authority Recognizes Musser Family, Grand Hotel
By Karen Gould

Representing the Mackinac Bridge Authority, Bob Sweeney, executive secretary (right) presented Grand Hotel President Dan Musser III with a photograph and resolution acknowledging the hotel and the Musser family for their support of the authority and with his great uncle's involvement in the planning and construction of the Mackinac Bridge.

Former Grand Hotel owner W. Stewart Woodfill played a key role in building the Mackinac Bridge and his efforts were recognized by the Mackinac Bridge Authority Thursday, June 15, with a resolution and a photograph of the bridge presented to Grand Hotel President R.D. Musser III. Mr. Musser is Mr. Woodfill's grand-nephew.

At the Mackinac Bridge Authority's annual dinner at Grand Hotel, Executive Secretary Bob Sweeney commended the efforts of Mr. Woodfill as he sought funding and support of the bridge's construction and pushed to establish the Mackinac Bridge Citizens Committee. The committee served as a stepping stone to reestablish the Mackinac Bridge Authority, which had been abolished by state legislators in 1947.

Mr. Woodfill, then owner of Grand Hotel, championed the cause of maintaining an oversight group for the Mackinac Bridge and on June 6, 1954, Governor G. Mennen Williams signed the bill establishing the new Mackinac Bridge Authority, to oversee construction of the new bridge.

The authority's first official meeting took place two weeks later, June 24, 1950, on Mackinac Island.

Mr. Woodfill invited businessmen and state leaders to the hotel to gain legislative and financial support for the bridge. From Grand Hotel's historic porch, with its sweeping view of the Straits of Mackinac, he showed them where the bridge would cross the Straits, from Mackinaw City to St. Ignace.

The resolution presented to the hotel reads, in part, "Grand Hotel has served as a central location to promote the idea of a bridge crossing the Straits of Mackinac and later as an ideal location to view the construction progress."

"The role the bridge has in this region is tremendous," said Mr. Musser, "and it is the main focal point as you look out from our front porch."

His great uncle Woodfill, he said, "lobbied in the state legislature because, number one, he knew the bridge could be built, and number two, he knew how important it would be to the area to have it."

Mackinac Bridge Authority members are Chairman William Gnodtke, Vice-chair Elsa Schaller, Murray Wikol, Patrick

Gleason, Angelo Lanni, Barbara Brown, and Michigan Department of Transportation Director Kirk Steudle.