Meridian Bridge Centennial Countdown

October 11th seems to be an important day in Yankton Bridge History! On October 11, 1924 the Meridian Bridge was officially opened to traffic in Yankton, South Dakota. The Meridian Bridge will be 100 years old on October 11, 2024. On October 11, 2009, the Discovery Bridge was opened to traffic and it will be 15 years old on October 11, 2024.

I propose that we celebrate the Meridian Bridge Centennial and the 15th year anniversary of the Discovery Bridge on Friday October 11, 2024 here in Yankton! Let me know what you think. Where would Yankton be today without the construction of the Meridian Bridge? Does Gavins Point Dam get built? Does Lewis & Clark Lake exist? There was great competition on where to construct a north south highway bridge across the Missouri River.

The residents of Yankton (and the surrounding area) knew the importance of the Meridian Bridge. They celebrated for 8 days straight (October 12th through the 19th of 1924) with parades, 6 stages, aerial acts, nightly fireworks and the famous mule “Ebenezer”! $25,000 was spent in order to make this the best and biggest event ever held at any time since the opening of the North West.

n this video we present you with some of the history of the Meridian Bridge and how it came to be the final segment of a highway stretching from the Canadian Border to Mexico. This highway today is known as the Pan American Highway.

Did you know that up until 1953 there was a toll to cross the bridge? The toll was removed when the city of Yankton purchased the Meridian Bridge from the Meridian Highway Bridge Company. And of course Yankton celebrated again! Who was the first driver to cross the Meridian Bridge on October 5, 1924 in a Buick Sedan? I’ll give you a clue… it wasn’t a man!

I hope you enjoy our videos and the content we put out about Yankton and the surrounding area. Please subscribe to our channel! There is a lot of history here and it has molded Yankton into what it is today. Kaye and I both love Yankton, SD and we love living and working here. We built, own and operate Shore to Shore Realty LLC in Yankton, South Dakota. We would love to go to work for you. We are Yankton’s REALTORS® of Choice! Enjoy the video!