Built out of an abandoned railroad trestle bridge…
The Trestle Inn gets its name from the fact that it is built out of an old railroad trestle (bridge) that was located 4 miles from where the Trestle sits now. The old timbers give the Trestle a unique feel and character that you can sense from the moment you step in the front door. We are centrally located in the middle of Isabella, Tofte and Finland, Minnesota.
In February of 1980, during a snowmobile adventure 5 miles past Crooked Lake Resort, Lee Schumacher and his son Kurt came across an abandoned railroad trestle deep in the Superior National Forest. The Hoist Creek trestle bridge was last used in the 1920’s and the timbers are estimated to be 300 years old. It is believed that logging trains using this trestle bridge transported many of the timbers that built Minneapolis, St Paul and Chicago.
With permission of the Forest Service, the Schumachers disassembled the trestle beams one at a time using Lee’s 1948 Willys Jeep. (One of the chains to drag the beams five miles back to this location still hangs by the stairs). The Douglas Fir timbers were 8 x 16 x 33 ft long and weighed in at 1,950 pounds apiece, making the transport a difficult task indeed. When placed, some of the beams were just too heavy for the chains to handle and had to be placed by hand instead.
Construction began in 1983 and the Schumachers transformed the trestle beams into a restaurant and saloon for snowmobilers. Everything was made or modified by hand, from the buildings to the tables and the bar. Each beam was precisely measured, cut and put into its final position creating a place where you can sit, relax, drink, dine, and gaze in awe at the history and beauty. The Trestle Inn officially opened for business in 1985.
In 2000, Susan Butler Rian purchased the Trestle Inn and has been carrying on the tradition ever since, serving patrons from all over the world.
