3 Locations & 150 Years Later This Central MN Bridge Still In Use

For as long as I can remember I've known about the Gateway State Trail bridge, that runs above Manning Ave in Stillwater Township for bicyclists and pedestrians. It's an old bridge, that is spectacular to see as you drive under it. I just learned that the Gateway State Trail bridge started 150 years ago in Sauk Centre as a piece of Main Street.

I stumbled across a post suggested for me on social media. It was from a public group called Bridges. The post was about the former bridge that was a part of Main Street in Sauk Centre, used to cross the Sauk River. That was back in 1873!

From there, in 1937, the bridge was deconstructed and moved to Koochiching County, to be used by Highway 65 to cross the Little Fork River.

Then in 2009, the bridge was decommissioned due to its condition and was taken down and replaced. In 2011, someone in the Twin Cities who knew how to 'hot rivet' used the bridge to span across Manning Ave in Stillwater Township in Washington County.

The man behind the brief history of the bridge is Joe Fishbein. Joe even has an old postcard of the bridge when it was in use in Sauk Centre, which is pretty sweet.

It's not every day that something 150 years old, that large, and has also survived being moved 3 times AND is still being used, every day!

The bridge is just 15 years younger than Minnesota has been officially known as a state.

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