[6][7] In 1880, Minneapolis was a bustling city with major commerce mostly located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, while smaller, up-and-coming businesses were on the east.

With the merging of the Village of St. Anthony on the east side, Minneapolis continuously grew in population, and the Hennepin Avenue suspension bridge served as the sole thoroughfare for commuters and pedestrians.

With the rapid increase in commercialization, Minneapolis businessmen sought a plan to accommodate the heavy flow of traffic, and immediately considered the railroad mogul James J. Hill for the task.

The Stone Arch Festival of the Arts occurs Father's Day weekend and features many local artists.

The Minnesota Historical Society and the Great Northern Railway provided the following important historical timeline: 1881 - James J. Hill commissioned the Stone Arch Bridge project [6] 1882 - The initial stockholders meeting was held and Col. Charles C. Smith was assigned as the construction's head engineer 1883 - After 22 months of intensive work, the Stone Arch Bridge was completed [6] 1885 - The Union Depot at the heart of Minneapolis was completed and substantially increased the passenger volume 1907-1911 - Renovations were done to improve the bridge's drainage system and strengthen its structural support in order to transport heavier loads 1913 - The new Great Northern Depot, north of Hennepin Avenue, replaced the Union Depot[9] 1925 - Another renovation conducted to increase the width to allow bigger trains that would house more passengers[6] 1961- 1963 - The lock and dam was built at St. Anthony falls which required arch number 13 and 14 to be replaced with a 200-foot Warren truss and allow barges to pass [10] 1965 - The bridge underwent renovation when the Mississippi River flooded, causing the seventh pier to sink about 14 inches 1971 - The bridge became part of the National Register of Historic Places [6] 1978 - The last passenger train crossed the Stone Arch Bridge [6] 1978 - The Great Northern Depot was razed[9] 1989 - The bridge was bought by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority [10] 1992 - The ownership was transferred to Minnesota Department of Transportation [10] 1994 - The bridge was converted into a biking/walking path by the Minneapolis Park Board [6] The Stone Arch Bridge, commissioned by James J Hill and designed by Charles C Smith, was built between 1882 and 1883.

Hill originally intended to build an iron bridge spanning the Mississippi at Nicollet Island, but Smith discovered that pursuing that design would be detrimental to St Anthony Falls’ eroding sandstone.

The stone used to make the bridge was locally sourced, including granite from Sauk Rapids for the piers and magnesium limestone from Mankato and Iowa for the upper portion.

It remains as a monument to James J. Hill, his vision, and is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.