Mill Pond Suspension Bridge

Mill Pond Suspension Bridge. . , A Great Idea , This suspension bridge project was developed by the local Rotary Club and in 1968 the Club approached the Park Board of the Village of Pelican Rapids. The Rotary Club offered to lead the fund raising effort. Their goal was to keep the project costs below $60,000., Mayor Henry Korda representing the Village, and Truman Strand, representing the Rotary Club, appeared before the Otter Tail County Commissioners to present an application for "a foot bridge over the Pelican River, linking E.L. Peterson Park with Sherin Memorial Park, which would enhance and beautify the Pelican Rapids park system." The Commissioners approved the project and fund raising began. Pelican Rapids Rotary made their first donation in October 1970., A Great Project , In the summer of 1973, the Village Council advertised for bids. Resset Construction of Pelican Rapids won the construction bid. Anton Resset and Orville Nettestad directed the welding for the railing sections. Rotarians then volunteered to paint the railings. Other steel parts were fabricated by the Fargo Foundry., A Great Design , Luther Grotte, head of Otter Tail Power Company's special engineering services department, volunteered to be the creative head of the project. His services greatly reduced the cost of the project., A Great Connection , The suspension bridge was dedicated in August of 1975, seven years and $40,000 after the idea first surfaced. The Rotary Club estimated that an additional $20,000 of materials and volunteers' labor went into the project., Today, the suspension bridge crosses the Pelican River, connecting the north and south side of town to foot traffic. But it does so much more. It is a bridge for fishing in the cool dark waters of the river. It is a bridge from which to see water lilies, or swans, or the ducks that swim in the Mill Pond from the first ice melt in the spring until the crystals of ice work their way across the surface of the water in the fall. It is a bridge connecting all the artists in E.L. Peterson Park and Sherin Memorial Park during Art in the Park. It is a bridge from which to watch the fountain in the Mill Pond during Turkey Days, or the children playing in the park, or the leaves turning orange and scarlet along the banks of the river. It is a bridge that draws visitors from the food court selling Vietnamese egg rolls and Norwegian lefse across the river to the music of Somalia and Mexico during the International Friendship Festival. The colorful flags of these diverse cultures fly from the bridge railings during community celebrations. In all senses of the word, the suspension bridge that began as a dream has become a symbol of the connections within Pelican Rapids., Captions: , Construction of the Mill Pond Suspension Bridge during Summer 1975. , Colorful flags decorate the Mill Pond Suspension Bridge during the annual International Friendship Festival., May 2006. Designed by Jennifer Lintelman Design and Graphics., Rotary Club of Pelican Rapids Centennial Project , Celebrating 100 Years of Rotary 1905-2005, Suspension Bridge Facts , . Length of Walkway - 250 feet , . Distance between towers - 120 feet , . Height of towers above water - 30 feet , . Depth of pier foundation below water - 30 feet , . Total weight of walkway - 100,000 pounds , . Concrete used in walkway - 22 yards , . Concrete used in east pier - 60 yards , . Concrete used in west pier - 32 yards , . Concrete used in abutments - 64 yards , . Total concrete used in bridge - 178 yards , . Weight of steel - 22 tons , . Total weight of bridge - 400,000 pounds