Hennepin Avenue Bridge (1855)

Last updated

Suspension Bridge
Minneapolis Suspension Bridge (cropped).jpg
The bridge in 1868
Coordinates 44°59′07″N93°15′50″W / 44.98528°N 93.26389°W / 44.98528; -93.26389
Crosses Mississippi River
Locale Minneapolis, Minnesota
Characteristics
Design Suspension bridge
Total length620 feet (190 m)
History
Construction startMay 5, 1854;170 years ago (May 5, 1854)
Construction endDecember 5, 1854;170 years ago (December 5, 1854)
OpenedJanuary 23, 1855;170 years ago (January 23, 1855)
Replaced by Hennepin Avenue Bridge
Statistics
Toll
  • 25¢ (horses)
  • 5¢ (pedestrians
Location
Hennepin Avenue Bridge (1855)

The Hennepin Avenue Bridge [a] was a bridge spanning the Mississippi River at Hennepin Avenue from the Minneapolis Bank to Nicollet Island. Built and completed in 1854 and opened in 1855, it was the first bridge to span the Mississippi.

Contents

Background

In the 1850s, the rock ledge above the Falls of St. Anthony was the only place where the Mississippi could be crossed in the area. [1] In the winter months a thick layer of ice made travel easy. The high waters of spring and summer, however, made passage over the river slow and unsafe. [2] Dakota would occasionally take travelers across in canoes. [1] In 1847, businessman Franklin Steele and his friend John Stevens established a rope ferry from Nicollet Island to the western side of the river to help travelers cross. [1] While the ferry helped initially, an increase in traffic necessitated new construction. In 1851, a bridge was built from St. Anthony to Nicollet Island to make the trek to the island easier for travelers. A short time later Steele and local business leaders took steps to build a bridge that would reach both sides of the river. [2]

Construction

On March 4, 1852, Steele and his associates were granted a charter by the Territorial Legislature to build a bridge. The group formed the Mississippi Bridge Company and soon after began planning for a new bridge along the same path as the rope ferry. They hired engineer Thomas W. Griffith to head the construction project. Griffith and his team began work on a suspension-style bridge on May 5, 1854. [3] The cost of the completed bridge was $36,000 ($1.18 million in 2023). [4] The span of the bridge was 620 feet, and the cables dropped 47 feet from their towers. [1] The design was "of a modern character" and compared to the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge. [5]

Opening

The bridge was finished on December 5, 1854, and opened to the public on January 23, 1855. [1] It was the first bridge to be built across the Mississippi River. [1] [6] [3] [4] The first railroad bridge would be completed the following year in Davenport, Iowa. [7]

A grand celebration marked the opening. At one o'clock a large parade formed in front of the St. Charles Hotel in Saint Anthony, complete with sleighs filled with people, banners, and a marching band. Their route took them over a smaller bridge to Nicollet Island, where they were welcomed by a cannon blast as they stepped onto the bridge. After crossing the river, the parade moved through the business district of the municipality of Minneapolis and returned to St. Anthony. A celebratory dinner followed. [3] [2]

Use

The bridge began its life as a toll bridge, costing 25¢ ($8.18 in 2023) per team of horses and ($1.64 in 2023) per pedestrian. [1]

The rapid growth of St. Anthony and Minneapolis meant that a new bridge would soon be needed. When the work began in 1854 there were roughly 450 inhabitants in Minneapolis and nearly a thousand in St. Anthony. By 1860 the cities' populations had grown to 2500 and 3200, respectively. [2]

Construction of the second bridge, with the first bridge on the right Construction of the Second Suspension Bridge Over the Mississippi River - DPLA - 7d6804d69cf70a40fb21b3814c3bc303 (cropped).jpg
Construction of the second bridge, with the first bridge on the right

In 1866, the Mississippi Bridge Company's charter expired and Hennepin County assumed control of the bridge, purchasing it for $37,500 ($780,341 in 2023). [8] The toll requirement continued until the bonds sold to buy the bridge were paid off in 1872. [8]

Later years

A commemorative plaque at the site of the bridge DSC05725 (21895425979).jpg
A commemorative plaque at the site of the bridge

When St. Anthony officials agreed to merge their city with Minneapolis, the county-owned bridge was turned over to the new city. [8] Now a single entity, its connection over the river became even more important. Calls to build a new bridge to handle increased traffic multiplied almost immediately. A second suspension bridge was built directly to the north of the first one. Thomas Griffith was once again hired to serve as engineer. [2] On February 22, 1877, the second Hennepin suspension bridge opened. [9] [10] The bridge was demolished soon after the second bridge opened. [2]

Notes

  1. It is unclear if the bridge was called anything other than "the Suspension Bridge" during its existence; all news sources from the time refer to it as such. This article is calling it Hennepin Avenue Bridge as a matter of description rather than formal name, and for continuity with its current successor, the Hennepin Avenue Bridge.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Forded River in Early Days". The Minneapolis Journal. October 5, 1913. p. 12. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reicher, Matt. "Father Louis Hennepin Suspension Bridge". MNopedia . Minnesota Historical Society.
  3. 1 2 3 "Grand Celebration, of the Opening of the First Bridge that Spans the Waters of the Mississippi". Saint Paul Weekly Minnesotian. January 27, 1855. p. 2. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Goodrich, E. S. (January 26, 1855). "Opening of the Wire Suspension Bridge Across the Mississippi". The Daily Minnesota Pioneer. p. 2.
  5. "The Suspension Bridge Across The Mississippi". St. Paul Weekly Minnesotian. October 31, 1854. p. 3.
  6. "First Bridge Park". Mississippi National River & Recreation Area. U.S. National Park Service.
  7. Pfeiffer, David A. (Summer 2004). "The Railroads and Steamboats Clash at the Rock Island Bridge". Prologue Magazine. 36 (2). Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 "Suspension Bridge: A Glance at Its History From the Time It Was Built". Minneapolis Tribune. August 26, 1874. p. 4. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  9. "Untitled snippet". The Minneapolis Tribune. February 22, 1877. p. 2.
  10. "Untitled". Star Tribune. February 23, 1877. p. 4.
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