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The Romance of a Covered Bridge

An Old Highway 61 Blog by Gail Gates

“The wisdom of bridges comes from the fact that they know both sides;

they know both shores!” ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan

 

I admit that I cried when I first read The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller. The longing for connection, the love affair, the choice to stay or go, duty or self…yeah, I felt it. The bridges were the catalyst and the metaphor in the story, yet I realized I’d never seen a covered bridge in person. Until recently, that is!

The Sturgeon Lake Covered Bridge

While some miles off Old Highway 61, the short drive to Sturgeon Lake is well worth the experience of witnessing the only Minnesota-covered bridge on a public roadway allowing traffic. (According to the Dale Travis website, Minnesota only has 28 remaining covered bridges. Most have been moved to public spaces where people can walk or bicycle through them. Zumbrota’s covered bridge is the oldest, built in 1869.)

The backstory of the Sturgeon Lake Covered bridge began with a vision of sorts. The Swanson family owned and farmed a peninsula of land that jutted into Sturgeon Lake. When they were ready to sell, a developer named Jim Waldhalm bought the property to create a gated island community.  Mr. Waldham platted the property for future homes and, in 1965, dredged a channel. Somewhere between 1967 and 1970, he built the covered bridge. (It wasn’t an accident that the height and embrace of the bridge would NOT accommodate mobile homes. Mr. Waldham was a home builder and envisioned his A-frame abodes dotting the land.)

Accounts vary, but approximately 50 homes enjoy the island—including some original A-frame houses. Some folks are year-round residents, but most have vacation homes in the community. All of them use the covered bridge to gain access to and from the island.

Failed Bridge Inspection

Decades passed, and the covered bridge became an iconic community member. The bridge offered side doors that allowed passage to two small decks…places where people could stand to fish or take wedding, graduation, family, or prom photos.

New oak planking was cut and placed when the bridge needed updates and the covering was refurbished in the early 1990s. Alas, time still took its toll.

When the Pine County Highway Department conducted routine inspections, it was found the iron substructure had severely deteriorated. The beloved bridge needed to be replaced.

A group of concerned township residents formed a committee. It was noted that MN DOT has a Road and Bridge Fund, and an application was made. Another application was sent to the National Historic Register for Covered Bridges, hoping the bridge could be saved and not replaced. However, it was determined that the bridge did not meet the guidelines for historic registration.

Meanwhile, the Road and Bridge Fund approved the replacement of the bridge, although the funds were yet to be available. They were also clear that the funds would be used to replace the bridge, not the “covering.”  It was up to the community to provide one if one was wanted.

In 2023, the funding came through, and the old covered bridge was dismantled and given to the Waldham family…a bittersweet end to something very special to so many for so long.

The New Covered Bridge

My husband and I drove to see the new bridge on a late September day. Of course, we opted to drive as much of Old Highway 61 as possible and enjoyed the first blush of autumn’s leaves. A quick stop at Banning State Park to hike and embrace the sunshine built up an appetite, so our next stop was for lunch. We chose Keziah’s Thai Kitchen in Pine City, MN. The restaurant sits right off Old Highway 61 and offers delicious food and a friendly staff.

Afterward, we meandered up to Sturgeon Lake and found the bridge. It seems so humble to be so storied! The new bridge is a single-span timbered bridge. I could still smell the creosote and fresh wood. I wondered why it no longer offers the side decks. Perhaps it was a safety concern or MN Dot restriction when they put in the new bridge matrix.

The locals, through dedication and hard work, recently created the covering. I have not heard if they will again paint it a sassy red or leave the wood to age with quiet dignity.

If you are like me and enjoy finding local “gems,” I highly recommend this adventure. Maybe one day there will be a movie about it starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood. Or perhaps you can create your own magical story as you stand within the covered bridge of Sturgeon Lake, MN. I’ll probably cry.

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