A Piece of History Worth Saving
The Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge is a historic landmark that deserves to be preserved for generations to come.
This big-story, little bridge has been standing since before North Dakota was even a state, and today, it’s in danger of being torn down.
You can help save the bridge by signing this petition. If you do, I’ll consider it a personal favor, but more importantly, please sign for the sake of preserving a piece of history, and an iconic landmark that’s been bringing joy to locals and sightseers for over a century.
It’s called the Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge, as it connects the state’s capital with the city of Mandan. And to me, one of its coolest aspects is that the man who built it had no prior bridge-building experience. He was a Harvard-educated, New York City lawyer in his 30s, who was looking to take a giant leap in location and make a drastic career change. This man’s bravery really knew no bounds as he set aside the practice of law in pursuit of work that would benefit people across the nation for many years to come.
That kind of courageousness – giving up all that’s familiar to chase after your true passion, inspires me more than I could ever put into words. And the fact that the Northern Pacific Railway entrusted this aspiring engineer with building the first bridge to straddle the unruly upper Missouri River, based on how much this man believed in himself makes him an incredibly impressive individual, in my opinion, and an inspiration to everyone who’s ever dreamt of breaking the mold.
His name is probably not one you’d heard of before, but George Shattuck Morison made significant contributions to the progression of America's Transcontinental Railway. He quickly became a self-made civil engineer, then went on to become the leading American bridge designer of the 19th century. Morison built the bridge pictured above with the help of more than 500 men, some of whom very dangerously descended underwater in pneumatic caissons to ground the bridge’s piers; a relatively new practice in the U.S. at the time. And he eventually went on to build nine other bridges that span the Missouri, five that cross the Mississippi, and he conducted numerous other smaller bridge projects.
I wish I could've attended one of this man’s lectures. He’s just such an inspiration to me. He believed in himself so much and wanted to make a major life change so badly that he not only did it, he became one of the best in history.
But I didn’t know any of that when I first found this bridge in Bismarck. All I knew was that I could see it from Keelboat Park – a place I’d found while googling solid stopping points along the 295-mile, 4.5-hour drive from Fargo to Dickinson, North Dakota – the longest, straightest road I’ve ever been lucky enough to drive on. Knowing good and well that at some point along that journey, I’d find myself a bit road weary, I planned a pitstop in the Peace Garden State’s capital. With an early morning flight from Newark Minneapolis, followed by another out to Fargo, plus an unexpected two hours of taxying on the ground before being allowed off the plane due to a security emergency at Hector International, I was particularly exhausted before I even reached Keelboat Park in Bismarck on that scorcher of a Thursday afternoon. I picked this park for a few reasons. One: it was along the original Lewis and Clark Trail. Two: it was a great, more-than-halfway-there mark. And three: there was green grass, and a river ran through it, so it seemed like the perfect place to stop and stretch my legs. Plus, google images showed this special-looking bridge in the distance, and bridges fascinate me, so I went.
Little did I know what a big deal this particular bridge was, at the time. After my trip, while in the process of desperately trying to relive it, I researched mom-and-pop shops I'd visited, the history behind tiny towns I'd passed through without pausing, and eventually, I discovered that the sweet little bridge I'd spent one sweet, sunny afternoon gazing at, was in jeopardy.
So why is it at risk for being torn down? Because along with a number of other older bridges across the nation, it’s in need of significant repairs. So BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway) is in the process of determining whether to demolish or repair it. Luckily, because of its eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, every effort is being made to preserve the bridge. Non-profit organization, Friends of the Rail Bridge (FORB), has been working tirelessly to preserve this historic Bismarck landmark as a pedestrian and bicycle pathway. And that’s what this petition aims to do.
Tearing it down would bring sadness and mourning to a community that cherishes the bridge so deeply. Preserving it brings perseverance, hope, a sense of saving something, the inspiration to chase dreams, an anything-is-possible mentality, and a we-can-do-it attitude. Combined with its legendary history, there’s just so much this bridge stands for. My vote is for it to be restored and adorned with a plaque that commemorates FORB for its hard work and dedication to protecting the bridge, the many hands that originally constructed it, and the genius who designed it 136 years ago.
I bet most of us (myself included) couldn’t name the individual(s) responsible for the creation of our nation’s very first highways, the masterminds behind our necessary sewer systems, or various other societal essentials we’ve grown so accustomed to. It’s easy to take the basics for granted. And we’re all moving so fast that it’s easy to never even wonder who grew the beans that brewed the coffee you rely on every morning, or the walking bridge you take precious strolls along here and there. But the bridge I’ve been going on and on about IS being remembered and appreciated and serving a purpose even if only as a landmark of our 39th state’s capital.
So please, put your name on the petition below to help save a piece of the past no one wants to forget.