116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Historic Sinclair stone to be included in Cedar Rapids pedestrian bridge project
The stone has historic origins at the Sinclair Meatpacking plant and journeyed around Cedar Rapids before ultimately being recovered for the Alliant Energy LightLine bridge project.
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CEDAR RAPIDS — More than a decade of planning and work will culminate with construction of a new pedestrian bridge across the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids. And now, thanks to the work of a few local historians and community leaders, the finished project will incorporate a small but significant element of Cedar Rapids’ heritage.
Specifically, a stone — part of the now-demolished Sinclair & Co. Meatpacking plant, which for many years was a landmark in the city’s skyline and a boon of Iowa industry — will be included as part of a display on the east landing of the Alliant Energy LightLine pedestrian bridge. It will sit alongside placards and signage that tell the story of the area.
The triangular stone, engraved simply with “1929” on its face, has journeyed around Cedar Rapids in the 15 years since the plant’s demolition in 2010. As people and places moved, so did the stone. Eventually, it was lost and required a search to recover it when project leaders decided to incorporate it with the bridge.
Where did the stone originate and how was it lost?
The stone was originally part of a three-story “Beef Kill & Coolers Building” that was added to the Sinclair plant in 1929, said Tara Templeman, curator and collection manager at The History Center.
A healthy workforce, made up of around 1,500 employees requiring a payroll of approximately $1.5 million, necessitated the expansions, Templeman said in an email to The Gazette. When the Sinclair plant buildings were demolished, workers saved the stone.
The stone landed in The History Center’s possession after the demolition, though its exact path is nebulous as records of its movements were not kept, History Center Executive Director Jason Wright said.
The stone was likely relocated to Turner Mortuary East in 2015, Wright said. Three years later, Turner Mortuary East, 800 Second Ave. SE, would become The History Center’s new headquarters and Wright tasked a then-employee with storing the stone off-site during the move.
Although there is no preserved record, Wright said the employee arranged for Nick Jelinek, of Parlor City Pub in NewBo, to keep the stone until further notice.
Until recently, the stone’s whereabouts were unknown. Wright said cooperation between himself, the former employee, ConnectCR Governing Board Member Julie Kraft, and Cedar Rapids City Council member Dale Todd was necessary to pinpoint its location as interest in including it with the bridge project grew.
Jelinek recalled Wright reaching out to him about the stone, saying “nobody knew where it was, and it’s been right here the whole time.”
It still sits behind Parlor City Pub where it is being stored until construction brings it to its place at the pedestrian bridge near its original home.
What is the LightLine Bridge?
Ground was broken in April on the Alliant Energy LightLine Bridge, which is one part of the larger ConnectCR initiative, whose roots go back decades.
ConnectCR became a nonprofit in 2018 by the joining of two organizations with similar goals to revitalize Cedar Rapids by enhancing recreation and community connectedness.
In addition to the bridge, ConnectCR is planning enhancements to recreation around Cedar Lake just north of downtown, including a new trail on the east side of the lake, fishing piers, ADA-compliant kayak launch, playground, shelter and restrooms.
The bridge — a $14.9 million project funded through private donations, grant money and city-allocated funds — will connect NewBo and Czech Village. Its design is intended to reflect distinct pieces of the city’s history.
In particular, its 165-foot LED-lit tower is meant to resemble the smokestack from the Sinclair plant.
Why was the Sinclair plant significant in Cedar Rapids?
The Sinclair & Co. plant, which opened in 1871, was for some time one of the leading sources of industry in Iowa and the world, Templeman said.
The plant moved in 1872 to the location where it would sit for over a century, at the south end of Third Street SE on the banks of the Cedar River. By 1878, the plant reached a capacity of several thousand animals per day, Templeman said. Most of the early employees were Bohemian and Czech immigrants, settling in the areas around the river that now comprise The District.
Critical pieces of infrastructure assisted the Sinclair plant with its operations, Templeman said. One was the railroad, extended in 1872 to help transport livestock and processed products, and another was a wagon bridge, built in 1875, to transport workers.
In 1909, under the leadership of Sydney Sinclair, the well-known Sinclair smokestack was constructed.
The plant closed in 1990 and its building was ravaged by the 2008 floods and a fire in 2009, before being demolished in 2010.
Kraft characterized ConnectCR as an organization intent on honoring a rich local history, and including the stone, as well as pieces of the old railroad bridge that crossed the Cedar River, which will become signage on the east side landing, is a large part of that goal.
“We live in a city that is very proud of its history, and rightfully so,” she said. “It’s been a founding principle of this organization to honor that history.”
Comments: 641-691-8669 or evan.watson@thegazette.com
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