Community Corner
Huffman Helped Preserve Artifacts From Rock Island Swing Bridge
One Inver Grove resident teamed up to save the original bridge sign, rollers, a gear that turned the bridge when it opened and closed, and some remaining pieces of railroad track.
The $2.4 million restoration of the Rock Island Swing Bridge helped preserve a piece of history and created a new attraction for Inver Grove Heights.
The Mississippi River bridge, which was built in 1894, once connected Inver Grove to St. Paul Park in Washington County. It has since been turned into a fishing pier and will be unveiled at an open house from 10am to noon on Saturday, June 11.
Many longtime Inver Grove Heights residents have their own personal memories of
their escapades on the Swing Bridge. And one Inver Grove resident worked hard to help preserve the history of the bridge by teaming up to save the original bridge sign, rollers, a gear that turned the bridge when it opened and closed, and some remaining pieces of railroad track. Jim Huffman, President of the Rock Island Swing Bridge Trust, was the leader behind the effort to preserve those original items. While they will not be on display when the Swing Bridge opens, Huffman hopes the artifacts will be viewable by the public by October.
"I thought it needed to be save to showcase the past and for future generations to see," said Huffman. "I believe in preserving history and I think this will add to the attraction."
Inver Grove Heights Parks and Recreation Director Eric Carlson agreed.
“This bridge was built in 1894," said Carlson. "I think by preserving the original structure we provide people the opportunity to realize just how old the original bridge was. It helps you realize how big of an effort it was to build this bridge back then. They didn't have the technology we have today so the people and effort it took was really quite an undertaking. To be able see how things were built back then is really amazing."
The artifacts are currently located at various storage facilities throughout Inver Grove Heights. Huffman was the driving force behind this project, but he said it couldn't have been done with the help of a number of people, including District 39 Sen. Jim Metzen (DFL), District 39B Rep. Joe Atkins (DFL) and Willie Krech and Joe Boehmer of Total Construction, who were instrumental in providing the equipment needed to haul the artifacts, Huffman said.
"They are really the unsung heroes of this project," said Huffman. “Without their help and everyone working together, we wouldn’t have been able to do it. I think that’s great to see everyone come together like that and help keep pieces of history.”
