Palatka Memorial Bridge was envisioned in 1921 at an estimated cost of $375,000, and the bridge spanning the St. John’s River was completed six years later. At the time, it was considered to represent the highest type of modern architectural style and construction methods. Its final construction cost reached $1.25 million, leaving city leaders scrambling to recover their funds, so it was initially operated as a toll bridge, with fees ranging from five cents to a dollar depending on the means of crossing. The bridge lasted only fifty years, and the new Memorial Bridge was completed in the spring of 1977. Statues guard the base of the bridge on both sides. They were erected there by nationally known artist E.M. Viguesney of Spencer, Indiana, and nearly one hundred other statues like them had been erected nationally. The Spirit of the American Doughboy was the only statue in the world endorsed by the American Legion as being 100 percent perfect. The eagle wings spread over the globe symbolize a proud nation, and wreaths carry meanings of victory, bravery, and remembrance of lives lost during the World Wars.