A Bridge TO THE PAST, AND OUR FUTURE.
Friends of the Rail Bridge (FORB) is dedicated to the preservation of the bridge and to repurposing the bridge as a pedestrian and bicycle pathway. Bismarck and Mandan both have a rich network of trails adjacent to the Missouri River. The conversion of the bridge to a pedestrian pathway would provide an interconnection between these trail systems that would be a recreational staple of the communities for generations to come.
THE FUTURE
A Bridge for Everyone
First and foremost, we want to see the bridge preserved for posterity—so we don’t lose this important piece of community history and identity. Preserving the Rail Bridge will produce numerous benefits beyond recreation and tourism, including fostering civic pride, increasing historical awareness, and stimulating economic development along the river.
THE PAST
Change to Preserve the History
In March 1880, Northern Pacific President Frederick Billings hired consulting engineer George Shattuck Morison to design a bridge that would cross the Missouri between Bismarck and Mandan, Dakota Territory. It has been determined historically significant on a national level and is listed by the National Trust For Historic Preservation as one of the 11 Most Endangered places in America. The bridge is a critical piece of a much bigger story about the heritage of the Missouri Valley, our community, our state, and the American West.
