In 1907, Norwegian immigrant stone masons
Mons Ronhovde and Sivert Shervey led a crew
that built a stone bridge over a creek on what would
later become County Road 21. It is located just
north of where Co. Rd. 21 intersects with State
Highway 55/59 northwest of Barrett.
At the time, this road was one of the main routes people would take to get from Barrett to Elbow Lake. State Highway 55, which followed the Soo Line railroad tracks, was not constructed until about 1936.
The bridge was not wide, built for the wagons and buggies that were the primary mode of transportation of the day. When automobiles became more prevalent and the bridge proved too narrow to handle the traffic, the road was rerouted a short distance away with a culver replacing the bridge. The bridge was left in place, sitting just off the highway right-of-way on the west side of the road.
Decades later, in the year 2000, the West Central Area FFA, under the direction of WCA teacher and FFA advisor Matt Olhoft, took on the task of cleaning up the bridge and surrounding area. This became an annual project for the FFA through 2016, until Mr. Olhoft left the school district.
In 2003 a sign was erected, praising the workmanship of the Norwegian stone masons. The students also added railings, and were able to use the original braces for the railings that were still in good shape.
About the same time, Randall and Karen Hedtke, current owners of the property on which the bridge sits, donated the bridge to the Grant County Historical Society. Since then, the historical society has seen to it that the area surrounding gets mowed. They also provided a picnic lunch for the FFA members after cleaning up the site.
Until recently, the 118 year old bridge has stood the test of time pretty well. Storms in recent years have caused debris to pile up at the base of the bridge contributing to the base of the bridge being compromised on the west side.
Engineers have examined the bridge and we have a plan of action to stabilize (not restore) the base.
The estimated cost of this project is $20,000. If you would like to contribute toward this project, please contact the museum or go to the Donate page listed on the Menu bar and choose the Stone Bridge.
Photos by Gary Hanson, Bob Shervey, and Billy LaValley. Text by Patty Benson, July 2025