Discovery Bridge
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Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan PAGE 14B Saturday, October 4, 2008 DISCOVERYDedication2008 Meridian Bridge: By The Book(s) Local Authors Hope The Last Chapter Of The Meridian Bridge Has Yet To Be Written BY TRAVIS GULBRANDSON travis.gulbrandson@yankton.net It took Yankton residents Kathy Grow and Lois Varvel more than five years to research and write their book about the Meridian Bridge, a year longer than it took to construct the bridge itself. That s one of the reasons they hope to see the 88-year-old bridge maintained and used in some capacity after the Discovery Bridge opens. I hope they keep it open for some purpose forever, Grow said. I have no confidence that that s what will happen, unless it really becomes an amazing development with downtown Yankton. ... I hope they don t tear it down. That s the bottom line. It is Yankton s signature. It means Yankton. Varvel said, Certainly, the location of the new bridge diminishes the likelihood that the old one will be saved, in my opinion. Had there been an east bypass second bridge, Meridian would have a life of its own to live. Grow and Varvel published their history of the bridge, The Bridge We Built: The Story of Yankton s Meridian Bridge, in 2001, and have since collaborated on a children s book and a book of historic postcards on the subject. The Meridian Bridge was dedicated on Oct. 16, 1924, after four years of construction and decades of planning. Grow said its impact on the area is impossible to fully comprehend today. There was no other crossing for cars except for pontoon bridges or ferryboats, she said. And it was the last link in the Meridian Highway, which went from Mexico up into Canada. I mean, there were people all over the country rooting for this bridge to get built, and when it opened, it just changed everything not always in ways that were predicted. For one thing, the area did not become a center of bustling economic development. They thought that Yankton would become a little Chicago once that bridge was open, and everybody would just swarm to Yankton, Grow said. All kinds of stuff was going to be happening, and none of that happened. (That includes) the railroad that was supposed to travel along the lower deck, Varvel added. Additionally, the removal of the bridge toll in 1953 had the opposite of its intended effect. People in Yankton started going south, and instead of bringing business in, it took business out, Grow said. The Meridian Bridge no longer looks the way it did when it was dedicated its decorative wrought iron railing was removed in the 1970s and taken out of the state. Varvel said, We saw not one value in it then, and of course some of us would kill now to get the railing back. ... There was no taste to maintain it literally maintain it, something as simple as a paint job while it was the lifeline we claimed it to be. In a way, Grow and Varvel have tried to maintain the bridge Kathy Grow (left) and Lois Varvel of Yankton have written three books on the Meridian Bridge one of them a children s book. They say the old bridge still has a lot to offer the area in this new century. (Kelly Hertz/P&D) Thank You!... For allowing us to be a part of the Discovery Bridge Project. Cheryl Hisek Store Manager 312 Douglas, Yankton 665-3757 to the growth of both Yankton & Nebraska! P&D ARCHIVE PHOTO This is a photo of the plaque commemorating the construction and dedication of the Meridian Bridge. It lists many of the prime supporters of the project, including D.B. Gurney, who was president of the stock company that works for years to pay off the bridge s debt. This plaque can still be found just west of the bridge on the South Dakota side of the river. with their books, which record the personal stories, memories and memorabilia of the people who helped bring Meridian Bridge into being. There s so much personal history to this bridge, Grow said. There s so many people who invested hard-earned money in very bad times to get this bridge built, who followed every step of the way. It was just an amazing thing. It was a community coming together to do something them- selves that they wanted, that they felt they needed to do, she said. In a curious way, the Meridian Bridge was already viewed by some as being out-ofdate the day it was completed. It really was the end of the reign of railroads, Varvel said. They had peaked by then, and they were not looking for another north-south route. It was just past its time, and the planners of the bridge didn t know it. Grow added, They thought they were building the bridge for the future, and they were building the bridge for the past. For their part, Grow and Varvel both hope this past will be preserved in some form. Check out the flag display leading to the new bridge proudly displayed by our office stop in for complimentary popcorn during the dedication. 122 W. 3rd Downtown Yankton DISCOVER a great selection of Meridian Bridge photos by local & area photographers! LilyCrest Cottage Historic Dowtown Yankton www.lilycrest.com (605) 664-8800 Your Bridge to Your Dreams FINANCIAL PLANNING We have been the architects of investment programs for scores of people in this community. Come talk to us, and we ll help you identify your investment needs and design a personalized investment strategy to help you plan to meet your long- and short-term goals. Lori K. Leader Financial Advisor Ameriprise Financial Riverfront Place 115 Broadway Ave., Suite 2 P.O. Box 648 Yankton, SD 57078 (605)665-8608 Custom picture framing by Cathy Clatworthy, AOCA, CPF Certified Professional Framer Financial planning services and investments available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA and SIPC. Ameriprise Financial can not guarantee future financial results. 2008 Ameriprise Financial, In. All rights reserved.
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Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan PAGE 14B Saturday, October 4, 2008 DISCOVERYDedication2008 Meridian Bridge: By The Book(s) Local Authors Hope The Last Chapter Of The Meridian Bridge Has Yet To Be Written BY TRAVIS GULBRANDSON travis.gulbrandson@yankton.net It took Yankton residents Kathy Grow and Lois Varvel more than five years to research and write their book about the Meridian Bridge, a year longer than it took to construct the bridge itself. That s one of the reasons they hope to see the 88-year-old bridge maintained and used in some capacity after the Discovery Bridge opens. I hope they keep it open for some purpose forever, Grow said. I have no confidence that that s what will happen, unless it really becomes an amazing development with downtown Yankton. ... I hope they don t tear it down. That s the bottom line. It is Yankton s signature. It means Yankton. Varvel said, Certainly, the location of the new bridge diminishes the likelihood that the old one will be saved, in my opinion. Had there been an east bypass second bridge, Meridian would have a life of its own to live. Grow and Varvel published their history of the bridge, The Bridge We Built: The Story of Yankton s Meridian Bridge, in 2001, and have since collaborated on a children s book and a book of historic postcards on the subject. The Meridian Bridge was dedicated on Oct. 16, 1924, after four years of construction and decades of planning. Grow said its impact on the area is impossible to fully comprehend today. There was no other crossing for cars except for pontoon bridges or ferryboats, she said. And it was the last link in the Meridian Highway, which went from Mexico up into Canada. I mean, there were people all over the country rooting for this bridge to get built, and when it opened, it just changed everything not always in ways that were predicted. For one thing, the area did not become a center of bustling economic development. They thought that Yankton would become a little Chicago once that bridge was open, and everybody would just swarm to Yankton, Grow said. All kinds of stuff was going to be happening, and none of that happened. (That includes) the railroad that was supposed to travel along the lower deck, Varvel added. Additionally, the removal of the bridge toll in 1953 had the opposite of its intended effect. People in Yankton started going south, and instead of bringing business in, it took business out, Grow said. The Meridian Bridge no longer looks the way it did when it was dedicated its decorative wrought iron railing was removed in the 1970s and taken out of the state. Varvel said, We saw not one value in it then, and of course some of us would kill now to get the railing back. ... There was no taste to maintain it literally maintain it, something as simple as a paint job while it was the lifeline we claimed it to be. In a way, Grow and Varvel have tried to maintain the bridge Kathy Grow (left) and Lois Varvel of Yankton have written three books on the Meridian Bridge one of them a children s book. They say the old bridge still has a lot to offer the area in this new century. (Kelly Hertz/P&D) Thank You!... For allowing us to be a part of the Discovery Bridge Project. Cheryl Hisek Store Manager 312 Douglas, Yankton 665-3757 to the growth of both Yankton & Nebraska! P&D ARCHIVE PHOTO This is a photo of the plaque commemorating the construction and dedication of the Meridian Bridge. It lists many of the prime supporters of the project, including D.B. Gurney, who was president of the stock company that works for years to pay off the bridge s debt. This plaque can still be found just west of the bridge on the South Dakota side of the river. with their books, which record the personal stories, memories and memorabilia of the people who helped bring Meridian Bridge into being. There s so much personal history to this bridge, Grow said. There s so many people who invested hard-earned money in very bad times to get this bridge built, who followed every step of the way. It was just an amazing thing. It was a community coming together to do something them- selves that they wanted, that they felt they needed to do, she said. In a curious way, the Meridian Bridge was already viewed by some as being out-ofdate the day it was completed. It really was the end of the reign of railroads, Varvel said. They had peaked by then, and they were not looking for another north-south route. It was just past its time, and the planners of the bridge didn t know it. Grow added, They thought they were building the bridge for the future, and they were building the bridge for the past. For their part, Grow and Varvel both hope this past will be preserved in some form. Check out the flag display leading to the new bridge proudly displayed by our office stop in for complimentary popcorn during the dedication. 122 W. 3rd Downtown Yankton DISCOVER a great selection of Meridian Bridge photos by local & area photographers! LilyCrest Cottage Historic Dowtown Yankton www.lilycrest.com (605) 664-8800 Your Bridge to Your Dreams FINANCIAL PLANNING We have been the architects of investment programs for scores of people in this community. Come talk to us, and we ll help you identify your investment needs and design a personalized investment strategy to help you plan to meet your long- and short-term goals. Lori K. Leader Financial Advisor Ameriprise Financial Riverfront Place 115 Broadway Ave., Suite 2 P.O. Box 648 Yankton, SD 57078 (605)665-8608 Custom picture framing by Cathy Clatworthy, AOCA, CPF Certified Professional Framer Financial planning services and investments available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA and SIPC. Ameriprise Financial can not guarantee future financial results. 2008 Ameriprise Financial, In. All rights reserved.
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