The families of five men who lost their lives during construction of the seaway - David Hanna, Leo Coolidge, Arlyn Pike, Floyd Pinkerton and Donald Wright - were on hand for the event.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, said it was sobering to speak at the ceremony and noted she hoped family members would be comforted to know the sacrifice of their loved ones who died working on the project will now have a permanent memorial at Eisenhower Lock.
"I'm honored to add my voice to commemorate the workers that lost their lives making these locks possible, making the entire seaway possible," she said.
"It is time and very fitting to hold this ceremony. I commend the seaway for recognizing the importance of the workers who lost their lives on this project and also the men and women who stood shoulder to shoulder with them," Assemblywoman Russell said.
Massena Deputy Mayor Matthew LeBire stressed the importance of focusing on the people involved in the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
“There’s a common theme that I see, and that is the people. It’s so fitting that we are doing this today to recognize people that did pay the ultimate sacrifice. Our biggest strength is not the resources we have. It is not the locks. It isn’t anything else. It’s the people,” Mr. LeBire said.
Daughters, sons, nephews and sisters remembered those men and shared stories of how they had lived their lives and how their lives were lost.
It was the story of a massive construction project that took 22,000 workers from late 1954 to 1959 to complete. Approximately 4,000 of those employees worked on the two U.S. locks - Eisenhower and Snell - and 10 miles of navigation.
The scope of the project included moving 17 million cubic yards that was dug out to create the channel, dredging river bottoms and erecting the two locks.
Eisenhower Lock is the result of 3 million cubic yards of excavation and 535,000 cubic yards of concrete, the equivalent of 59,500 ready mix loads, of concrete.
Power houses and hydroelectric dams were also built. The project also included moving farms, villages, houses, cemeteries, highways and railways on both sides of the border.
The human cost of the massive $475 million engineering and construction project nearly 60 years ago has been forgotten by many. But family members of those construction workers have lived a lifetime with those losses.
Bonnie Pearson, now in her mid 70's, led the effort to establish a memorial honoring those killed during the construction of the seaway and power project.She was 13 when her father died. He left his wife and five daughters ranging in age from 17 months to 15 when he was struck by the malfunctioning bucket on his crane on May 11, 1955.
“With everyone’s help, and also God’s, all things are possible, and here we are today,” Ms. Pearson said.
“There are likely many other similar stories of these incredible workers waiting to be shared. Let us never forget how these brave men contributed valiantly to this great achievement of building the St. Lawrence Seaway,” she said.
Ruby Shelton said her brother, Arlyn Pike, had only been working on the construction project a few months when he was involved in a truck accident.
John Pinkerton's uncle, Floyd Pinkerton, was killed in a motor vehicle accident between Ogdensburg and Waddington on his way to work on May 27, 1957.
John's father, Martin, was seriously injured in that same accident. Several other men in the vehicle were taken to the hospital for treatment of their injuries. The only passenger not injured in the accident that day went to work, John pointed out.
Leo Coolidge was 3 1/2 when his father's crane broke through a wooden platform and dropped 90 feet. His widow was left to raise their three sons - 3 and a half, 2 and 1 - at the time of his death.
Seaway officials noted the grueling conditions that workers went through during the construction of the seaway and the power project.
“Some of those dedicated individuals lost their lives in building what is now considered one of the world’s greatest engineering wonders," according to St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Administrator Betty Sutton said.
"We are eternally grateful to those workers, and it is our duty, indeed our moral obligation to ensure that every visitor to the Seaway locks is made aware of the sacrifices of these pioneering workers,” she noted.
IN THE PHOTOS:
TOP:
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell thanks Bonnie Pearson for the role she played in making sure workers who lost their lives during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway were properly recognized. The St. Lawence Seaway Development Corporation held an observance Friday afternoon to recognize those killed during the seaway construction. Ms. Pearson's father, David Hanna, was the first American killed during the construction of the waterway. He died in a crane accident on May 11, 1955.
BOTTOM:
A plaque remembering those whose lives were lost during the construction of the seaway will be placed on permanent display at Eisenhower Lock.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell visits with Polly McKeever following a ceremony honoring those killed during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Massena Deputy Mayor Matthew LeBire and Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell are silhouetted as they examine a plaque honoring workers killed during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell talks with Sue Worden following an observance recognizing those who died during work on the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project.
It was the story of a massive construction project that took 22,000 workers from late 1954 to 1959 to complete. Approximately 4,000 of those employees worked on the two U.S. locks - Eisenhower and Snell - and 10 miles of navigation.
The scope of the project included moving 17 million cubic yards that was dug out to create the channel, dredging river bottoms and erecting the two locks.
Eisenhower Lock is the result of 3 million cubic yards of excavation and 535,000 cubic yards of concrete, the equivalent of 59,500 ready mix loads, of concrete.
Power houses and hydroelectric dams were also built. The project also included moving farms, villages, houses, cemeteries, highways and railways on both sides of the border.
The human cost of the massive $475 million engineering and construction project nearly 60 years ago has been forgotten by many. But family members of those construction workers have lived a lifetime with those losses.
Bonnie Pearson, now in her mid 70's, led the effort to establish a memorial honoring those killed during the construction of the seaway and power project.She was 13 when her father died. He left his wife and five daughters ranging in age from 17 months to 15 when he was struck by the malfunctioning bucket on his crane on May 11, 1955.
“With everyone’s help, and also God’s, all things are possible, and here we are today,” Ms. Pearson said.
“There are likely many other similar stories of these incredible workers waiting to be shared. Let us never forget how these brave men contributed valiantly to this great achievement of building the St. Lawrence Seaway,” she said.
Ruby Shelton said her brother, Arlyn Pike, had only been working on the construction project a few months when he was involved in a truck accident.
John Pinkerton's uncle, Floyd Pinkerton, was killed in a motor vehicle accident between Ogdensburg and Waddington on his way to work on May 27, 1957.
John's father, Martin, was seriously injured in that same accident. Several other men in the vehicle were taken to the hospital for treatment of their injuries. The only passenger not injured in the accident that day went to work, John pointed out.
Leo Coolidge was 3 1/2 when his father's crane broke through a wooden platform and dropped 90 feet. His widow was left to raise their three sons - 3 and a half, 2 and 1 - at the time of his death.
Seaway officials noted the grueling conditions that workers went through during the construction of the seaway and the power project.
“Some of those dedicated individuals lost their lives in building what is now considered one of the world’s greatest engineering wonders," according to St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Administrator Betty Sutton said.
"We are eternally grateful to those workers, and it is our duty, indeed our moral obligation to ensure that every visitor to the Seaway locks is made aware of the sacrifices of these pioneering workers,” she noted.
IN THE PHOTOS:
TOP:
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell thanks Bonnie Pearson for the role she played in making sure workers who lost their lives during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway were properly recognized. The St. Lawence Seaway Development Corporation held an observance Friday afternoon to recognize those killed during the seaway construction. Ms. Pearson's father, David Hanna, was the first American killed during the construction of the waterway. He died in a crane accident on May 11, 1955.
BOTTOM:
A plaque remembering those whose lives were lost during the construction of the seaway will be placed on permanent display at Eisenhower Lock.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell visits with Polly McKeever following a ceremony honoring those killed during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Massena Deputy Mayor Matthew LeBire and Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell are silhouetted as they examine a plaque honoring workers killed during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell talks with Sue Worden following an observance recognizing those who died during work on the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project.
