The first bridge at this location dates back to 1888 when a wooden trestle supporting a footbridge was built across the Minnesota River at this location. The bridge was built to connect a residential district on the east side of the river with the business district on the west side of the river.

In 1935, the wooden bridge was replaced with a steel bridge designed under license from the Roebling Company, the firm famous for building the Brooklyn Bridge. Roebling had expertise in suspension designs and they were the primary vendor for the suspension cable and connectors.

Monumental floods in both 1997 and 2001 swamped this suspension bridge and damaged the structure of the bridge. It has since been repaired, which accounts for the nice new paint job we see in these photos. The bridge is located in the downtown shopping area. There is a fantastic view of the dam from the middle of the suspension bridge.