“It really was the place where out of town visitors, immigrants and others saw their first view of Minneapolis. Crossing the Stone Arch Bridge, seeing the falls of St. Anthony and coming in to the Depot in Minneapolis,” said Dave Stevens who is site manager for the Mill City Museum, just steps from the bridge and the city's riverfront.
Stevens told WCCO’s Laura Oakes, “The Stone Arch Bridge has become an icon both because it was built using really old technology, it looks like a Roman viaduct, and it was built largely like one. Even though it was using steam locomotives, the height of modern technology at the time, all of the stones were lifted into place using human and horse power.”
And this year, the 25th anniversary of the Stone Arch Festival of the Arts pays tribute to the area's rich history.
“The central riverfront is really the birthplace of Minneapolis. And the area along Main Street where the festival takes place is the oldest part of town. There are two of the oldest buildings still standing in Minneapolis. The oldest brick building from 1855, now the home of the Aster Café. And the 1858 Martin and Morris building is the oldest stone building in the city,” said Stevens.
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