Minneapolis Skyline Print: Misty Evening from Stone Arch Bridge

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"Minneapolis Skyline on a Misty Evening" a view from the Stone Arch Bridge Over Mississippi River, is perfect for anyone with fond memories of Minneapolis. This Minnesota wall art would look great in a living room, den, home office, or even a bedroom. This could make a great holiday or housewarming gift to anyone with an affection for Minneapolis skyline wall art. It is available as a 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, or 16x20 paper print, a 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 24x36, 30x40 canvas print, a 16x20, 24x36, or 30x40 acrylic print, or a 16x20, 24x36 or 30x40 metal print. Scroll down for more information on these options. The Stone Arch Bridge was built by railroad tycoon James J. Hill for his Great Northern Railroad and opened in 1883. It is the second oldest bridge on the Mississippi river and the only arched stone bridge on the river. It was built to provide access to the new Union Depot. With the construction of the new Union Depot in downtown Minneapolis, James J. Hill needed to find a way to get his railroad to the depot. His construction of the stone arch bridge gave him a very direct way to connect the numerous tracks on the east side of the river with downtown and the Depot. It connected the Minneapolis Union Railroad tracks with the Manitoba Road tracks, a connection that was crucial to his eventual development of the Great Northern Railroad. The railroad connected Chicago with the Pacific Northwest and was a major factor in the development of the American West. Hill had originally planed to build an iron bridge but his head engineer, Charles C. Smith, discovered that such as design would further harm the eroding sandstone of St. Anthony Falls. And it was commonly believed by engineers of the time that a stone arch bridge would not work for rail traffic since the vibrations of passing trains would cause the stone to crumble. However Smith persisted and pioneered a stone arch design to account for the falls and surrounding topography. Initially there were those who referred to the bridge as "Hill's Folly" but its value as a passenger rail link soon became evident. Through the economic boom of the 1920s and the depression of the 1930s, as well as two world wars, the bridge provided an essential rail link. At its peak, 82 passenger trains used the bridge a year. Various modifications and repairs were made through the years. The width of the bridge was increased in 1925 to allow for larger railcars. In 1962, after the newly completed Upper Lock and Dam was completed, two of the arches were replaced by a steel Warren deck truss to accommodate vessels. In order to not disrupt rail traffic, the stone foundations were widened where the arches were to be removed and the steel truss was built outside of the stone. After the truss was complete the arches were removed and the tracks were reinstalled on the truss section. Incredibly, rail traffic was only disrupted for 7 hours. Then in 1965, two of the piers were undercut as the result of the raging flood water. As a result the bridge began to sag. Although repairs were made it is still possible to see a small sag in some of the stone courses on the east end of the south face. After the milling industry left Minneapolis, the number of trains using the bridge drastically decreased. In addition to this, passenger rail service had a difficult time competing with the automobile as the years went by. When Amtrak took over passenger rail service on May 1, 1971 they continued to use the bridge. But on March 1, 1978, Amtrak opened the new depot between the Saint Paul and Minneapolis downtowns. The last train crossed the Stone Arch Bridge that day. The Bridge was unused and fenced off through the 1980s and into the 1990s and mostly forgotten. Eventually $2.5-million was raised from public and private sources and the bridge was renovated for pedestrian/bicycle use. The renovated bridge was reopened in 1994. Today, the bridge provides a spectacular view of Saint Anthony Falls and is the front door to downtown. The evening I took this photo I had actually intended to photograph the Minneapolis skyline from a place called Ridgway Parkway Park. I drove to the park but quickly realized that rain was already moving in and the mist was making it hard to see the skyline. A bit dejected, I packed up and left. As I was driving around downtown on the interstate to get home, it was dark enough that I noticed how the mist was diffusing the colored lights above some of the buildings. I quickly changed my plans and diverted to the downtown riverfront and walked part way out on the Stone Arch Bridge. When I turned around, and looked back at downtown, this is what I saw. Since the bridge is almost always crowded with bicycles and pedestrians I was very lucky to shoot at a time when hardly anyone was out. Production and Shipping Time: 5 days for printing, 5 days for shipping. There are 4 ways to print these images. 1). Premium Photo Paper • High quality, professional paper-prints • Sharp, vivid and rich color sets this apart from a casual photo print • Long lasting • Intended to be placed in a frame • Optional framing is available. Contact me directly for options and prices. 2) Ready to Hang Canvas • Ready to hang right out of the box with zero assembly required • Gorgeous finished look • Well-known, high-end way of displaying photographs • 1.5 inch thick wooden stretcher-bars give it shape (similar to a traditional painting) • No staples or ugly lines visible on the sides • Optional framing available. Contact me directly for options and prices. 3). Acrylic Prints • Light refracts through the museum-quality acrylic bringing vibrancy and depth • Premium polished, best-in-class, 99.9% optically pure acrylic 1/8” thick • Superb image quality from edge to edge • Absolutely stunning, brilliant color! • Back mount frame with lip ready to hang on your wall, right out of the box. • Optional framing available. Message me for options and prices. 4). Metal Prints • White Gloss Chromaluxe Aluminum • Texture and shine of the metal creates depth and dimension so your photos truly stand out • Incredibly durable and long-lasting • Scratch-resistant, waterproof, and resistant to fading • Lightweight, extremely robust and durable • Back mount frame with lip ready to hang on your wall, right out of the box • Optional framing available. Contact me directly for options and prices.

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