This week’s Pic of the Week takes us to my homestate of Minnesota and specifically, to Sanborn in Redwood County. This bridge in the picture is the Main Street Bridge, spanning the Cottonwood River south of the town of 600 residents. It’s the longer of the two bridges that feature a multiple-span concrete beam bridge with Art Deco railings. Unique about the bridge is that the underside has jack-arches- meaning the arches are drilled inwards. There are two rows of jack-arches when looking at the bottom part of the bridge but when looking at them more closely, they resemble an imprint molded in using tin soup cans. 😉
As mentioned before, the two bridges are located only 600 feet from each other, the longer one over the Cottonwood is about 170 feet long; the shorter one spanning a tributary is about 80 feet. Both have a width of 16 feet. They were built by Milo Adams in 1918 and are the oldest of their kind left standing and still in operation in Minnesota. They used to serve US Hwy. 71 before the highway was bypassed to the east during the 1960s and the street was then converted into local traffic. The bridges are listed on the National Register.
This historic highway was one of many that were visited and documented by another fellow pontist, David L. Backlin. Known as Mr. Highway 71, Mr. Backlin photographed and documented several historic places along US Highway 71, which runs from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to the Canadian border at International Falls, Minnesota, with stops at Shreveport (LA), Fort Smith (AR), Kansas City (MO), Okoboji (IA) and Sauk Centre (MN). It also snakes its way into the river valley and through my childhood home of Jackson in Minnesota. He contributed to numerous websites, including Highway Ends and especially bridgehunter.com. Off the highway and bridges, he was a member of the group Society for Creative Anachronism and he founded a store in Fayetteville, Arkansas called All the Trimmings, which sold Medieval costumes and other attire. David Backlin passed away on April 9th at the age of 63. He was survived by his sister and her family.
Apart from having a BHC logo in his honor, this month of May will be devoted to him and his bridge photos, which will be showcased in his memory. He photographed many bridges in the Midwest, especially along his favorite highway, US 71, but also in Arkansas, where he made his home for most of his life. They will appear in the Pic of the Week section but also at random to show his appreciation and to give thanks for what he has done for the historic bridge community. He was a key contributor in his field and will be missed by many who knew him, including myself.
Thank you David for your work and may you rest in peace. ❤
.
The Bridgehunter's Chronicles 