The completion of the Arcola High Bridge in June 1911, located just 6½ miles north of Stillwater, Minnesota, marked an exciting milestone for the community. Constructed by the American Bridge Company and designed by the renowned engineer C. A. P. Turner, this impressive structure replaced an earlier, less efficient bridge connecting Wisconsin and Minnesota that featured steep inclines difficult for trains to navigate.
Built for the Wisconsin Central Railway, the Arcola High Bridge quickly became a source of local pride. Many residents captured its grandeur and loveliness in photographs. According to at least one family’s lore, some daring youths even risked crossing it on foot—an adventurous feat and certainly not recommended!
Celebrated as both an engineering triumph and a beautiful historic landmark, the bridge earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Remarkably, it remains in use today by the Canadian Pacific Rail, serving as a reminder of early 20th-century ingenuity and design.
Visitors can view the bridge from the St. Croix River or take a hike in the nearby Arcola Bluffs Day Use Area for a closer look. Adding to its mystique, local legend speaks of a mysterious green light that sometimes appears on the Minnesota side near where it crosses Arcola Trail.
The photograph is of a postcard from our collection in the St. Croix Historical Collection Room. You can view it and others anytime the library is open.