On this day in Labor History the year was 1954.
That was the day of the groundbreaking ceremony of what would come to be known as “the greatest construction show on earth.”
The show was the development of the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
The $1.2 billion project was a joint effort by Canada and the United States.
It included the building of seven locks and widening of canals.
The completed project would allow large cargo ships to travel all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to Duluth, Minnesota.
It connected cities such as Chicago and Detroit to international trade routes to the east.
The project also included the construction of a 3,216 foot long hydro-electric dam.
More than 22,000 engineers, carpenters and laborers made the project possible.
These workers dredged 360 million tons of materials, and laid six million cubic yards of concrete.
The massive construction project was finished in just five years.
England’s Queen Elizabeth II attended the opening ceremonies of the finished Seaway.
Within the first three days 168 vessels had traversed the new waterway.
Jason Romano owned a trucking company that helped transport gravel to the project.
He recalled, “The Seaway opened up the Great lakes and brought ships to [the] heart of the country and that is what makes this country great. The men who designed the project and worked with and under me are the unsung heroes.”
Jason’s story along with many other workers who made the project possible were collected by Claire Parham in her book “The St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project: An Oral History of the Greatest Construction Show on earth.”
The book was released in 2009, commemorating fifty years since completion of the massive project.
Listen to our clips at www.LaborHistoryin2.com
Labor History in 2:00 brought to you by the Illinois Labor History Society and The Rick Smith Show