Handcrafted model of Black Hawk Bridge on display at library in Lansing

by Julie Berg-Raymond

A 13-foot-long model of the historic Lansing Black Hawk Bridge, handcrafted by Ralph Steinlage of Lawler, is now on display at the Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library through July 4 of this year.

Steinlage’s nephew, Nick Humpal, is part of a massive project, the construction work of which has begun this year, to build a new Mississippi River bridge at Lansing. Humpal, district engineer with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) for the District 2 Office in Mason City, knew about his uncle’s interest in the construction project - a joint effort of the Wisconsin and Iowa DOT. He knew, as well, about his uncle’s interest in and talent for creating models of historic buildings and structures. So, when Humpal asked him if he might consider building one of the iconic Black Hawk Bridge, Steinlage was happy to oblige.

Construction took Steinlage about nine days - he put in between 75 and 80 hours to build the model bridge, which is made from pine wood and painted in textured bronze. The decking is made from chicken wire. “It doesn’t sing,” he says - in reference to the Black Hawk bridge’s metal deck, which changes tone against a vehicle’s tires as it’s driven over the bridge; “but you can see through it!”

A member of the German American Museum, Library and Family History Center in St. Lucas, Steinlage has a deep appreciation for cultural history. He started making models of historic buildings and structures in 2019; among the pieces he has made - currently on display at the museum in St. Lucas - are models of the St. Lucas church, the former school (now home to the museum) which features 96 windows and doors, the “smallest church” (near Festina), the “first stone house,” a blacksmith’s shop, the “Dietzenbach Bottom Bridge” over the Turkey River, the Wiest Feed Mill (Fort Atkinson), and more.

“It’s a hobby that I enjoy, especially seeing the finished product,” he says. “We passed under the (Black Hawk) bridge every summer when we rented a houseboat from S&S in Lansing,” Steinlage says. “And I always admired it. I am hoping this helps preserve the past for future generations.”

According to the DOT’s website for the new bridge project at https://iowadot.gov/lansingbridge/Project-Schedule-and-Costs, the Black Hawk Bridge will be taken down in 2027 - when the new bridge is fully operational.

For information about the history of the Black Hawk Bridge, the new bridge project - including design details and construction updates - and to sign up to receive updates via email, go to https://iowadot.gov/lansingbridge. The project’s Facebook page can be reached by searching “Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing” on the social media site.

The German American Museum, Library and Family History Center is located at 212 East Main Street in St. Lucas and can be reached by phone at 563-778-2710. For more information go to stlucasmuseum.org.

After Lansing, Steinlage’s model of the Black Hawk Bridge will be displayed in the museum in St. Lucas and then in Mason City at the DOT District 2 office. Most likely, Steinlage says, it will then take up permanent residence at the library in Lansing.