Duluth's Aerial Lift Bridge began its life in 1905 as the United States' first transporter bridge -- the bridge would carry a small movable section of roadway across the water. This lasted until 1930 when the bridge was converted into an aerial lift bridge, which is how it still operates today. The bridge can be raised to its full height of 135 feet in just about a minute and is raised about 4,500 to 5,000 times a year.
For more in-depth history and information about the bridge, check out Pear Head's nearby virtual - and don't forget to grab it while you're in the area.
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I've wanted to place a cache right here for a long, long time. Since this area obviously has lots of tourists coming through, many caches in this general area have suffered an untimely demise. As such, I spent almost a year pondering what I could do to try and prevent that. It finally occurred to me today and I promptly went out and got it hidden.
If you're looking for this cache during the touristy months, you may need some extreme stealth (I personally recommend the "pretending to be an annoying tourist taking photos from all angles" approach). Experienced cachers shouldn't have too much trouble finding this one, but if you're relatively new it may be a bit tougher. The cache container is unique and contains only a logbook; you should BYOP. There's no need to climb, reach up into, or do anything with the actual lift bridge itself. The cache is not there. Be sure not to walk under the bridge if it happens to be in operation. Have fun and stay safe!