Fans of the iconic Fairview Lift Bridge, or history in general, will delight in the new “Fairview Lift Bridge, 110 Years of History” which is now available for just $15 at Merchants Bank, 216 S. Ellery and Page Turners, 214 S. Central, Fairview; Books on Broadway, 121/2 W. Broadway, Williston, and The Roundup, 111 W. Main, Sidney.
Dozens of great photos, which were submitted by many different people, showcase the varying stages of the Fairview Lift Bridge. From stories of the actual construction of the bridge and tunnel, to tales of riding the Galloping Goose, or driving across the bridge when it was still used for vehicular traffic as well as train. The booklet provides a glimpse into more than the history of the bridge, but also the community. The Fairview Bridge was important to the entire area, including two states. Dozens of articles from multiple newspapers, including the Bismarck Tribune and local papers that no longer exist, detail the fascinating evolution from a busy railroad to the peaceful walking bridge it is today.
The booklet has been a labor of love for Fairview native Jeremy Krieger who worked on it for over a year, in cooperation with the Friends of the Fairview Bridge. His goal was to try and get some of the stories preserved before they were lost. “The cool thing about doing the booklet was learning stuff about the bridge that I didn’t know about,” Krieger explained. His earliest memory of the bridge is a walk across with his family when he was about seven years old. Included in the group was a visiting aunt who went along with the joke when he pretended to tie her to the tracks! That story isn’t in the booklet but many other personal stories are. That first trip kindled Krieger’s love of the Fairview Bridge and bridges everywhere. His favorite thing to do is to take pictures of the bridge! “I love the history of Fairview including the bridge and tunnel. I hope you all enjoy reading through this as much as I have,” Krieger said.
Krieger is hopeful that this first booklet will spark even more interest in the bridge and that a second edition could be published in the future. Contact him at Merchants Bank, 406-742-5203, if you have any stories or pictures that you would like to share.
Reader Comments(0)