![]() Anthony Falls, Guthrie Theater, Hennepin Island, St. For Skip and me, it was the starting point of a wonderful Travel Date where we explored the sites and views along the Mississippi River Heritage Trail and enjoyed each other’s company on a splendid Minnesota September day.īlogs on this fun adventure have been divided into several units: Nicollet Island, St. It is a place where locals take out-of-town guests to show off our fair city. It has been the site of countless marriage proposals. The Stone Arch Bridge is a place filled with memories – and to make new ones. Trains could easily travel into the riverside rail yards on their way to and from the proposed depot.įrom Curious Minnesota, Eric Roper Star Tribune 11/2/19) /why-does-the-stone-arch-bridge-cross-the-mississippi-at-such-an-odd-angle/561251221/ Playing it safe, they built the bridge below the falls, crossing at a diagonal – with a six degree curve at one end. They were also worried about the bridge’s pillars creating ice and logjams above the falls. A catastrophic collapse caused by the construction of a tunnel a dozen years earlier was still fresh in people’s minds. The wise engineer was wary of disrupting the sandstone riverbed above the falls - which was already eroding - and perhaps fundamentally altering the water power fueling the city’s industry. We enjoy its aesthetics, but the reason for the curve is much more practical. ![]() Why is the bridge curved and not straight across the river? Separating these are six trophy heads of animals native to the Northwest Territory: elk, buffalo, Rocky Mountain sheep, deer and wolves. Scenes of events from Hill’s career are in the border, culminating in a portrait medallion of Hill at the top. This depot was part of Hill’s development of rail service in the city. To its left is the Minneapolis Union Depot. The Stone Arch Bridge (center), the Washburn flour mill (on left), and the Pillsbury flour “A” mill (on right) are included. It is packed with sites we saw on the Heritage Trail, engraved with a view of Minneapolis in 1884. ![]() The tray honored Hill’s “work, character, and career in the Northwest” and commemorated the recent completion of the Stone Arch Bridge, which allowed passenger transportation across the Mississippi River into the city. Hill on September 10, 1884, by the citizens of Minneapolis. The bridge – and the falls – are the focal point of the Mississippi River in this area.Ĭreated by Tiffany & Company, New York, this elaborate silver presentation tray (on right) was given to James J. Today it is not actually a falls, but rather dam. The Stone Arch BridgeĮxperiencing the Stone Arch Bridge also means experiencing the Falls of St. The Stone Arch Bridge was our starting point on our recent Travel Date as we continue to explore the wonderful Minnesota sites in our back yard. It provides stunning views of the river from a variety of vantage points. Today, visitors to the area are encouraged to utilize the Heritage Trail which includes crossing the river on the Stone Arch Bridge and circles the St. (Why the sweeping curve? See “Questions” below!) In 1974, it was named a National Historic Civil Engineer Landmark. With the sweeping curve at its west end, the bridge is a unique example of skilled masonry construction. Hill built the 2,100 foot Stone Arch Bridge to improve passenger train access to downtown Minneapolis. It became the city’s most important and impressive railroad bridge. Built in 1883, it connected rail lines east of the Mississippi River to downtown Minneapolis. It is truly unique to our city, and a timeless piece of architecture and history. Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi River Minneapolis, Minnesota, USAĮvery time I cross the Mississippi River on I-35W, I thrill to get a glimpse of The Stone Arch Bridge – a Minneapolis icon.
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