Chief Standing Bear Memorial Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Chief Standing Bear Memorial Bridge is a bridge across the Missouri River
at the Nebraska
–South Dakota
border. Located near Niobrara, Nebraska
, not far downstream from the confluence of the Niobrara River
with the Missouri, it joins Nebraska Highway 14
to South Dakota Highway 37
.
The bridge is named for Standing Bear, a Ponca
chief born and buried nearby, who was the plaintiff in Standing Bear v. Crook, a landmark 1879 U.S. District Court case that established the legal rights of Native Americans
to move about freely.
at Yankton, South Dakota
, or 60 miles (96.6 km) upstream to Fort Randall Dam
near Pickstown, South Dakota
. A seasonal ferry, closed in the winter, crossed the river at Niobrara for some time; but it ceased operation in 1984.
Local residents had sought a bridge since the 1920s. Construction of a toll bridge began in 1931; but it was ended by the Great Depression
. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
vetoed a bill passed by the U.S. Congress
that would have allowed construction to proceed; in 1940, he signed a revised bill to permit construction, but the shortage of materials caused by World War II
thwarted it. A third effort was stymied by the Korean War
; a fourth attempt failed in the early 1980s.
With the support of U.S. Representative Doug Bereuter
of Nebraska, funds continued to be appropriated intermittently for the bridge. In 1995, the U.S. Congress passed a transportation appropriations bill that gave Nebraska and South Dakota enough money to complete the bridge. The project was attacked by television journalist Tom Brokaw
, in a series titled "The Fleecing of America", as an unnecessary expenditure of federal money. However, funding survived and construction proceeded. Of the bridge's $17 million cost, about $14 million came from the federal government; the remaining $3 million was supplied by the two states.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the bridge was held on April 20, 1996; dedication ceremonies were held on August 29, 1998.
During the 2011 Missouri River floods
the bridge became a dead end on the Nebraska side when that approach was flooded. Many Nebraska residents who worked at the Mike Durfee State Prison
on the South Dakota side took to using makeshift motor boats, kayaks, chest waders and a homemade “swamp bikes” to commute between the bridge and their cars out of the flood area—a process which took 30 minutes or more.
, and the Meridian Highway Bridge
at Yankton.
The "Bridging the Shores" celebration of the bridge is held annually in Niobrara.
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
at the Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
–South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
border. Located near Niobrara, Nebraska
Niobrara, Nebraska
Niobrara is a village in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 370 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Niobrara is located at ....
, not far downstream from the confluence of the Niobrara River
Niobrara River
The Niobrara River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, running through the U.S. states of Wyoming and Nebraska. The river drains one of the most arid sections of the Great Plains, and has a low flow for a river of its length...
with the Missouri, it joins Nebraska Highway 14
Nebraska Highway 14
Nebraska Highway 14 is a highway in Nebraska. It has a southern terminus at the Kansas border southwest of Superior and a northern terminus east of Niobrara at the South Dakota border.-Route description:...
to South Dakota Highway 37
South Dakota Highway 37
South Dakota Highway 37 is a state route that runs across eastern South Dakota. It begins at the Nebraska border northeast of Niobrara, Nebraska, as a continuation of Nebraska Highway 14. It runs to the North Dakota border north of Hecla, where it continues as North Dakota Highway 1...
.
The bridge is named for Standing Bear, a Ponca
Ponca
The Ponca are a Native American people of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan-language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma...
chief born and buried nearby, who was the plaintiff in Standing Bear v. Crook, a landmark 1879 U.S. District Court case that established the legal rights of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
to move about freely.
History
Before the bridge was constructed, Highway 14 ended at the Missouri. Travellers who needed to cross the river had to detour 45 miles (72.4 km) downstream to the Meridian BridgeMeridian Highway Bridge
The Meridian Highway Bridge is a bridge that formerly carried US Route 81 across the Missouri River from the Nebraska border to the South Dakota border. The Meridian Highway Bridge connects Yankton, South Dakota, with rural Cedar County, Nebraska...
at Yankton, South Dakota
Yankton, South Dakota
Yankton is a city in, and the county seat of, Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 14,454 at the 2010 census. Yankton was the original capital of Dakota Territory. It is named for the Yankton tribe of Nakota Native Americans...
, or 60 miles (96.6 km) upstream to Fort Randall Dam
Fort Randall Dam
The Fort Randall Dam is an earth embankment dam impounding the Missouri River in South Dakota, United States and forming Lake Francis Case. It is one of six Missouri River dams, four being located in South Dakota....
near Pickstown, South Dakota
Pickstown, South Dakota
Pickstown is a town in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 201 at the 2010 census. It was named after Lewis A. Pick, director of the Missouri River office of the United States Army Corps of Engineers.-Geography:...
. A seasonal ferry, closed in the winter, crossed the river at Niobrara for some time; but it ceased operation in 1984.
Local residents had sought a bridge since the 1920s. Construction of a toll bridge began in 1931; but it was ended by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
vetoed a bill passed by the U.S. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
that would have allowed construction to proceed; in 1940, he signed a revised bill to permit construction, but the shortage of materials caused by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
thwarted it. A third effort was stymied by the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
; a fourth attempt failed in the early 1980s.
With the support of U.S. Representative Doug Bereuter
Doug Bereuter
Douglas Kent "Doug" Bereuter is a retired Republican politician from Nebraska. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 until 2004.-Early life:Bereuter was born in York, Nebraska and reared in Utica, Nebraska...
of Nebraska, funds continued to be appropriated intermittently for the bridge. In 1995, the U.S. Congress passed a transportation appropriations bill that gave Nebraska and South Dakota enough money to complete the bridge. The project was attacked by television journalist Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
, in a series titled "The Fleecing of America", as an unnecessary expenditure of federal money. However, funding survived and construction proceeded. Of the bridge's $17 million cost, about $14 million came from the federal government; the remaining $3 million was supplied by the two states.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the bridge was held on April 20, 1996; dedication ceremonies were held on August 29, 1998.
During the 2011 Missouri River floods
2011 Missouri River floods
The 2011 Missouri River floods are a flooding event on the Missouri River in the United States. The flooding has been triggered by record snowfall in the Rocky Mountains of Montana and Wyoming along with near record spring rainfall in central and eastern Montana...
the bridge became a dead end on the Nebraska side when that approach was flooded. Many Nebraska residents who worked at the Mike Durfee State Prison
Mike Durfee State Prison
The Mike Durfee State Prison is a South Dakota state prison for men on the campus of what was University of South Dakota at Springfield, United States.-History:It is named for Mike Durfee who was a standout athlete and teacher at the school....
on the South Dakota side took to using makeshift motor boats, kayaks, chest waders and a homemade “swamp bikes” to commute between the bridge and their cars out of the flood area—a process which took 30 minutes or more.
Tourism
The bridge is a part of the Missouri River Trail, along with the Mulberry Bend Bridge south of Vermillion, South DakotaVermillion, South Dakota
Vermillion is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the tenth largest city in the state. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 10,571. Vermillion lies atop a bluff near the Missouri River.The area has been home to...
, and the Meridian Highway Bridge
Meridian Highway Bridge
The Meridian Highway Bridge is a bridge that formerly carried US Route 81 across the Missouri River from the Nebraska border to the South Dakota border. The Meridian Highway Bridge connects Yankton, South Dakota, with rural Cedar County, Nebraska...
at Yankton.
The "Bridging the Shores" celebration of the bridge is held annually in Niobrara.