Spanning a narrow stretch of the Mississippi River in Bemidji, the Nymore Bridge is a notable example of early-twentieth-century construction. Completed in 1917, it owes its success to innovative engineering, attractive design, and local funding. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Approximately fifty river-miles northeast of its headwaters in Lake Itasca, the Mississippi River flows out of Lake Irving for a short stretch before entering Lake Bemidji. A wooden bridge spanned this section of the river in Bemidji’s early years.
In addition to regular traffic from the city center to the southeastern village of Nymore, it supported heavier loads from sawmills and farms. Repairs were frequently required, and as early as 1911, the street commissioner declared the bridge unsafe. Finally, in 1916, the city council passed a resolution for a more substantial structure. Estimated costs rose greatly in that interim, partially because of the effect of World War I on material prices.
Although the bid prices shocked the council’s members, they did not choose the cheapest, all-steel option. Instead, they opted for a three-arch, steel-reinforced concrete bridge. They then bargained with the lowest bidder, Illinois Steel Company, whose St. Paul agents agreed to reduce their royalties for a final price of $22,772. Only after the completion of bridge construction, however, did the city act on a bond to pay for it.
Several worldwide trends give context to the Nymore Bridge. First, the Good Roads Movement of the early twentieth century supported safe and reliable infrastructure in rural areas. At the same time, the ongoing City Beautiful Movement advocated aesthetic civic design choices. The visually appealing design of the bridge reflected this value, with Classical Revival elements such as raised concrete panels, decorative lampposts, and gaslights.
The era also saw bridge engineers experimenting with new methods. George M. Cheney’s patent specified the pouring of concrete over an intricate steel grid. The embedded structure aimed to eliminate or minimize the appearance of unattractive cracks, even though they did not affect bridge stability or strength. This method incorporated structural integrity and beauty.
Original plans called for the bridge to be completed and opened on January 1, 1917. Contractor disputes, however, not to mention winter weather in northern Minnesota, caused construction delays. When it was finally completed in October 1917, the bridge measured 168 feet long and thirty-one feet wide, with a center span of sixty-five feet.
The Nymore Bridge was the last city-funded crossing built over the Mississippi between Lake Irving and Lake Bemidji. In 1934, the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) sponsored construction of a new bridge just 100 feet downstream, thereby downgrading the Nymore Bridge. When double State Highway 197 bridges opened in 2002, city officials blocked the Nymore Bridge on one end, closing it to anything more than foot or bicycle traffic. In 2019, the city of Bemidji remains the bridge’s owner.