In 1871 the citizens of Duluth finished cutting a canal through Minnesota Point, turning the isthmus into an island and splitting the fledgling city in two. It would take almost thirty-five years before a safe, permanent, and truly unique bridge was built to cross the canal and reunite Duluth with the community of Park Point, making the city whole again. Crossing the Canal brings to life the difficulties encountered by the residents of Park Point and other Duluthians while building an aerial transfer bridge and later converting it into an aerial lift bridge, including the stories of the operators who have maintained Duluth's famous bridge through its first one hundred years. - Dust jacket.