Bridging the Community

Bridging the Community. Valley City State University Bridge. , “In front of the building [McFarland Hall] lies the winding and picturesque Sheyenne and beyond it the city, the whole of which may be seen in panorama from the front windows.... The grounds are reached on the city side across a beautiful steel wire suspension bridge, which is itself a work of art.” , The above quote appeared in the 1902 Normal School Catalog only 6 months after construction of the bridge. , The designation of the Valley City State Normal School in the State Constitution in 1889 was not accompanied by appropriations and only the generous contributions of local citizens allowed the school to open in October, 1890. Appropriations passed in 1891 and McFarland Hall was ready for occupation in December, 1892. Because students boarded with private families in town at that time, it was absolutely necessary to have a bridge linking the school with the community. , [photo and illustration captions] , . The current ornate bridge was built for $1,940 in 1901 by Dibley and Robinson Company of Fargo. The only one of its kind in North Dakota, it is a three-span, 150 foot long suspension bridge. The new reinforcing columns are visible through the lattice-work towers. , . A wooden footbridge… opened the fall of 1892, making the campus more readily accessible. However, this “cheap pine structure had to be taken up nearly every year when the ice went, causing both expense and inconvenience.” , . Typical of the period, this hand-tinted postcard shows the ornate ironwork entrance to the Valley City Normal School Grounds in 1901. , . Two lattice towers on concrete footings support two parallel main cables which are anchored to concrete abutments on each bank of the river. A steel pipe was inserted within each leg to transfer the loadings from the cables directly to the piers during the 1993 renovation process. , . The walkway is suspended from the main cables by suspender rods attached to the floor beams which support a system of stringers. The live load is spread to several suspenders by means of a stiffening truss constructed of angle irons riveted together providing a rigid frame while serving as the bridge railing. The pre-renovation tower and concrete pier design is shown on the right. , . The Valley City State Normal School Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. , . “The clock tower and white suspension bridge are symbolic of the Valley City State University campus. The image of either structure immediately calls up memories of the scenic campus.” Valley City Times-Record, April 7, 1993 , . This view of the footbridge during the Sheyenne River flood of 1997 shows the water level within a foot of the walkway.