MARQUETTE - A landmark? Definitely. An important historic structure? Possibly. An eyesore? Some people thought so, including five members of the City Commission.

We refer to the rooftop-level railroad trestle that has been a dominant feature of this city since 1930. Rail traffic by the Soo Line, and then the Wisconsin Central, transported iron ore from local mines, through the city atop the trestle, down to the Lower Harbor ore dock where the material was loaded onto ore carriers. The dock and trestle have been idle since the early 1970s.

Last month, building trades workers continued to tear down the trestle, from Fourth Street to Lakeshore Blvd. At first, plans called for leaving a section the iron, wood and concrete structure near Front Street in place because of its familiarity as a downtown gateway and because of its historic value.

But the arguments of residents who wanted the entire structure torn down won out with City Commission members, who voted 5-1 late last year to tear down the entire trestle.

"It can never be restored to a thing of beauty because it never was (beautiful) when it started," said long-time Marquette resident Marion Sonderegger, quoted in the Marquette Mining Journal.

Dismantling of the 70-foot sections was handled by Lunda Construction. The trestle is destined for recycling or to be sent to the scrap yard.

"It was called a box girder, and American Bridge put it up," said Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council Field Rep. Jack LaSalle, whose office is in Marquette. "It was very heavy and well built. It welcomed people to Marquette, and I think a lot of people are going to miss it.

A BRIDGE section is loaded onto a truck by Local 8 and Local 312 iron workers for removal from downtown Marquette.

IRON WORKERS AND OPERATORS remove a 70-foot section of railroad trestle that carried trains through Marquette to the city's iron ore docks.