Iconic

The 1931 Blackhawk Bridge over the Mississippi River at Lansing, Iowa, is often called iconic. Something “iconic” is a representative symbol, or something widely known or important. This got me thinking about WHY the bridge is iconic.

The 1931 Blackhawk Bridge spans the main channel of the Mississippi River between Lansing, Iowa, and Wisconsin. It has been closed to traffic since October and is scheduled controlled collapse/destruction on December 19th, 2025.

The bridge is certainly widely known right now, as it has been taken out of service and is scheduled to be collapsed into the River this Friday, December 19^th. The parts will be cut apart and hauled away. The new bridge is already under construction and is expected to be completed by Spring 2027. That is a long time for a community to be without their bridge, as it is otherwise a long detour to either La Crosse or Prairie du Chien to get across the Mississippi. The Wisconsin and Iowa DOTs are providing a car ferry to help ease the impact.

Many people are grieving the loss of this bridge, while others wonder why anyone would care that much about an outdated bridge that needs to be replaced. I think part of the answer is in the word iconic. The old Blackhawk Bridge represents something, and there is a sense of loss when that something is gone.

Even after the Blackhawk Bridge is gone, icons of it and memories of things it represents will remain.

I thought I wouldn’t care about the old bridge, but I find that I do. For me, this bridge represents Lansing and my history with this old River town. The bridge has been here for almost 95 years; in that time even, the River itself has been changed by locks, dredging, siltation, and other processes, but the bridge stood constant. The rickety-sounding steel grate surface was unique, and it gave a sense of terror to many who crossed it; perhaps even that is symbolic of the trepidation and fear with which we cross over to a different place! The narrowness and the little “bump” at the top always caused a quickening of my heart when I crossed. The new deck will be smooth and much wider. It will be safer and easier, but I’ll miss the thrill and sense of adventure in crossing.

For many, the bridge represents connection. Lansing is closely knit to the Wisconsin communities on the other side of the River. Their residents are employees and employers, patrons and partners, cousins and friends. The car ferry is a huge help, but we still miss the direct connection. We are waiting (patiently?!) for the new bridge to restore our connection, and we hope that our small businesses will survive this long season.

For some, the Lansing bridge represents the beauty of the Driftless Area. Its distinctive silhouette spans the main channel of the mighty Mississippi, with rugged bluffs on either side of the 3-mile-wide river valley that is filled with forested islands and backwater sloughs. There is so much beauty in nature around Lansing, and this bridge has served as a focal point for many views. The new bridge will have a similar silhouette. This was a HUGE accommodation by the DOT, to build a visually similar structure. The community is grateful!

So yes, the old Blackhawk Bridge at Lansing is iconic. But a bridge serves a function, nothing can endure forever, and change is inevitable. Many of the things the old bridge stood for are not suddenly changing, and I trust the new bridge will be iconic as well.

We all have many things that are iconic to us; they represent something important. It can be simple things. For me, the outline of a tree’s structure is iconic. You will find much of my pottery decorated with outlines of trees and leaves. To me trees represent nature and wildness, and those things are important to me. I encourage you to think about why visual symbols are important to you and celebrate those things often.

In closing, let me remind you that we have some opportunities for you to come enjoy nature and wildness at Iowisota. We have a multi-session pottery workshop that starts on January 10^th and open crafting sessions in the Gathering Room at various times in January and February (I’ll keep adding dates). We can schedule private stays or retreats in our comfortable guest rooms, with all the wildness right outside the back door; fill out the booking request form on the Iowisota website (Accommodations | Iowisota) or send Linda an e-mail at Iowisota@gmail.com.