of its lifespan it was rusted and could only support a 4-ton load. School buses filled with children were too heavy to make the trip, so the children had to walk across the bridge while the driver drove the empty bus across. After the new bridge was built, the old bridge was given to the city, but they could not raise the necessary funds to maintain it. The old bridge was torn down, to the dismay of local residents who felt they had lost a city symbol. A replica of the bridge has been built and can be seen at the Little Log House Pioneer Village south of Hastings. See also List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River Footnotes References External links Little Log House Pioneer Show Road bridges in Minnesota Bridges over the Mississippi River Bridges completed in 1895 Bridges completed in 1951 Buildings and structures in Hastings, Minnesota Continuous truss bridges in the United States U.S. Route 61 Transportation in Dakota County, Minnesota Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System Great River Road Steel bridges in the United States