The Grassy Point Bridge was authorized by the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota in 1887 to cross Saint Louis Bay at the shortest possible location. It was built by the Minneapolis and Duluth Railroad, which was later acquired by the Northern Pacific. The bridge allowed the Northern Pacific to move trains between their railroad lines on either side of the Twin Ports Harbor.
The Grassy Point Bridge connects between two small BNSF rail yards. The yard on the Duluth side is known as ‘Mike’s Yard’. The east end of the bridge connects to the BNSF 28th Street Terminal, and a massive maze of rail yards and side tracks (now mostly gone) on the west side of Superior. The current iron and steel bridge was built in 1912. It was built to handle two parallel railroad tracks, but only one track is installed on the swing span. There are two tracks on the causeway leading to the bridge, but the trestle spans are only wide enough for a single track. The Grassy Point bridge is the only swing bridge still in use and one of two key railroad crossings that cross the border.
The Grassy Point area was the focus of a major clean up and wetlands restoration project in the 1990. A waterfront trail now runs through this area. It presents an interesting contrast between how humans build and abandon industrial facilities, and how nature builds and recycles its own infrastructure.
A strange and eerie row of teddy bears, clowns dolls, beanie babies, and stuffed Disney characters hang along the timbers of this rotating truss bridge, nailed up by their bunny ears and stuffed paws a few feet above the St. Louis River at Duluth-Superior Harbor.
Some of the items appear brand new, while others are matted, decomposing, faceless, bursting at the seams, faded and discolored from years in the sun. Spider webs have been spun and re-spun between their legs and moss has grown up over their glass eyes. All that remains of some are limp, detached ears, arms, and heads.
Accessible only by watercraft, this bizarre, unsettling display was first created by Rick McDonald, who operated the bridge between Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin for many years from the now-deteriorating building that sits just above it.
McDonald began purchasing secondhand stuffed animals and fastening them to the wooden beams that supported the bridge. Even the other operators were not certain why he began this odd collection, though it was assumed it was for the entertainment of himself and the boaters that passed by. Since McDonald’s retirement and later his passing in 2006, boaters have continued to make their own additions to the eerie assembly, making it an ever-changing exhibition.
Many of these secondhand toys must bear untold stories from Christmas mornings and baby cribs and childrens’ playtimes, making them all the more forlorn and mysterious. They’ll dangle there, a few feet above the murky river, rotting and molding and keeping one another and passing boaters company until they’ve decayed too much for their rusted nails to hold them up and they’re finally swallowed up by the silty estuary.
Easiest access is by canoe, kayak, or other boat. Be careful and listen for the bell - this bridge is still operable and does rotate back and forth to allow both trains and larger watercraft to pass. The closest boat launch is the Arrowhead Fishing Pier on Belknap Street on the Wisconsin side of the border, or Munger Landing on the Minnesota side.
Grassy Point Railroad Bridge.
To log this cache you'll need to complete two tasks.
1. Email us one of the two names on the washer that is attached to the second exposed vertical post South of the bridge on the East side. (see hint image)
2. Post a picture of yourself/group, OR your GPS/phone app at the bridge.
I will delete any pictures that give away the result of the first task.
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on theGeocaching Blog.