Schneiderman worked in the steel mill for years. He left the mill to take over a rundown general store located on a dirt road a few miles from the Meadowlands. The store caught a big break when Schneiderman was able to purchase the inventory of a failed hardware store. That allowed them to sell top quality plumbing and electrical supplies for a price that other stores in the region could not approach. Later, Schneiderman bought the inventory of a furniture factory that was closing down. This was their entry into the furniture business. By the end of the 1960s, they were selling only furniture. Despite being in a remote area, having no sales events, no advertising, and being on a dirt road that was impassible in spring, the store continued to thrive and expand. Their 20 year run of success had a pause when both the farming and iron business pulled back in the early 1980s. The Schneiderman children, who were now running the business, responded by opening a store in Duluth, followed by 5 stores in the Twin Cities. Today, Schneiderman is associated with Thomasville, and is known for selling top quality furniture for reasonable prices, supported by excellent service.
Update—the original Schneiderman store in the Meadowlands was closed in the summer of 2009. Declining floor traffic, largely due to the success of the Duluth store, made it hard to justify keeping the Meadowlands location open.
The bridge is a fairly routine prestressed concrete girder bridge. It is the modern style with a reinforced concrete deck and slanted guardrails. The one unusual feature of the bridge is that it has two different pier styles. The piers near the river are large reinforced concrete T-piers, while the pier that is located on firm ground is simply a series of pipes driven by a pile driver.
The photo above is looking northeast towards the downstream south face of the Meadowlands Trunk Bridge. It is interesting that the grass has been mowed under the bridge. The DNR does maintain some campsites for canoeists, but this one is not listed on the canoe trail maps. Perhaps it is the local township, or a local landowner who keeps the grass trimmed. The photo below is looking east down the center of the bridge deck.
