Bridge over untroubled water... in These titles mean nothing.

The Mississippi is a grand river. The Mississippi is running very full right now but it's pretty much still within its banks.

This is a grand bridge too. It was built by private subscription in the early 1930s. When Prohibition was over, trucks with beer had a fresh new place to cross the river.

When I was a kid in the 1950s the bridge was closed. The bridge itself was ok but the other bridge on the Wisconsin side had been damaged and could not be used.

Later in the early 1960s (maybe late 1950s), the Wisconsin part of the bridge was fixed and the whole bridge reopened from Lansing to Wisconsin. At that time the floor of the bridge you see here was replaced with a steel grid floor that makes a fun noise when you drive across it. From the right angles you can through the floor to the water.

The bridge is in movie - The Straight Story - a real story about a man who rode his riding lawnmower from somewhere in Iowa to somewhere in Wisconsin. He actually crossed at Prairie du Chein. In the movie they put Welcome to Wisconsin signs at the Iowa end of the Lansing bridge. I suppose they did it that way because the Lansing bridge is more picturesque than the Prairie one.

There - I've told you just about all I know about the bridge. Some of it's correct and some of it made up. Thought I'd warn you.

If you'd like a link to more about the bridge, try this.