Looking Back: Stillwater Bridge Comes Tumbling Down

It seems as though there are many people waiting for the old lift bridge to just fall down. That way a new bridge will be built and the old one will only be in the pages of a history book. But if it does come crashing into the St. Croix, don't bet that it won't be rebuilt! The old wooden pontoon bridge came tumbling down—twice—and even burned, and was still rebuilt.

The first river crossing at Stillwater was opened in 1876. It was a grand site and even though it was a toll bridge, people seemed to enjoy the convenience of going right across to the Wisconsin side. There was a pontoon section that would swing open and allow the rafts of logs and lumber go through. All seemed to be working well until Sunday, Oct. 10, 1886.

On that date a cattle dealer named John Foster arrived in town during the morning with 98 horses and mules which he had driven overland from River Falls and going to St. Paul.

The animals were stopped on the approach span of the bridge on the Stillwater side at the request of the bridge master. There about a dozen men were counting the horses and mules when suddenly with a crash that was heard more than three blocks away, the span gave way and the animals and men dropped twenty feet into the water. Thankfully all the men and all but three mules survived the crash.

The Stillwater Gazette said: "an examination of the span which broke disclosed the fact that there was not a sound piece of timber below the platform. All were rotten, the rusty iron rods pulled through the spongy wood, and the worm-eaten supporting beams gave way at once. Many people who examined the span asked the question: 'How in the name of common sense do you suppose it held up the heavy four horse loads of lumber which have been passing over it so long?'"

The bridge was quickly repaired and life went on as normal. But 11 years later the bridge would again collapse because of too many cattle on the spans.

On Friday, Sept. 10, 1897, a drove of 50 cattle were being driven across the bridge to the Wisconsin side. These cattle belonged to Isaac Staples and many of the cattle were coming from his Maple Island Farm and were going to pasture in Wisconsin. The span next to the pontoon on the Stillwater side started to creak and then gave way. About 30 cattle fell into the water while others had crossed the span just before it collapsed.

A portion of the bridge that fell landed flat in the water creating a raft of sorts. Several of the animals were trapped on that, one cow landed on its feet on the lower platform without even getting wet.

However, the vast majority of the animals that fell went directly into the water. They were unable to gain any footing and were swimming about in a terrified and helpless manner, snorting and bellowing with fear. The Bronson & Folsom steamer, "Baby," came quickly to rescue the animals and help with the clean up of the debris. Again, the breaking of the principal cross-timber caused the accident. The break was caused by one end of the huge timber being rotten.

Another collapse of the wooden pontoon bridge happened on Sept. 15, 1904 when the wooden structure caught fire. After the fire department and spectators gathered on the burning bridge, it collapsed sending fire fighters and spectators into the water. This collapse caused the death of three people.

After the collapse in 1897 the newspaper said that the incident had raised "considerable talk among the business men" in Stillwater about building a new bridge. Even one city council member remarked: "the old bridge had already caused the city more outlay than would have been necessary to put up a handsome steel one."

The steel lift bridge was built 31 years later.

Does history repeat itself?

Brent Peterson is the Executive Director for the Washington County Historical Society.