Hastings, MN along the Mississippi River

Hastings, MN is a town along the Mississippi River. When you come over the hill and see their bridge, you can’t help but admire it. The history is that a rope ferry in 1854 was the only means to cross for wagons and passengers for 41 years. Hastings’ first wagon bridge, opened in 1895, was famous for its spiral approach. The unique design allowed steamboats to pass underneath. 
  As vehicles became bigger and heavier, the bridge wasn’t able to support them, and a steel truss tied-arch bridge was constructed in 1951. In 2013 a free-standing tied-arch bridge was constructed. There is also a railroad bridge built in 1871 and reconstructed in 1980.
    
     

Significant flooding in Hastings has been recorded in 1881, 1952, 1965, 1969, 1993, 2001 and 2014 (what I could find in history) with 1965 reaching the all-time high cresting at 25.9 feet.
       

For those of you who play Pokemon Go, this river walk has Pokestops, gyms and pokemon to catch. There’s a nice historic area downtown also.  


For more pictures, please click here. You can click on any of these pictures to enlarge them.