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The sign says that it was built by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio.
It's a beautiful old bridge, but having said that, I'm not sure exactly what makes it beautiful.
There are whispers that it has a gruesome past. They are only whispers because we are newcomers to this small town and I imagine, as with most small towns, it takes a while to be trusted. I hope it is also because people are ashamed. Old-timers have an ugly nickname for this bridge, but it includes one of the few words I won't say.
It is rickety and old and scary to drive across. Danny says his truck exceeds the weight limit. I asked him about our old Suburban and he said that exceeds the weight limit, too. Wish I would have known that before I drove across it with the kids a few years ago. Praise God for protecting fools like me.
It isn't in the most beautiful setting. The river it traverses is usually a muddy brown like most Kansas rivers. We don't have the shimmering, crystal clear waters many Texas streams have.
But it is our river. And this is our home. That is reason enough to love it--as it is now--just an old bridge across the river near our home.
From a historic bridges website
Overview
Through truss bridge
Open to traffic
Recognition
Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
Dimensions
Main span length: 147.9 ft.Total length: 220.1 ft.Deck width: 14.8 ft.Vertical clearance: 14.1 ft.
Inspection (as of 02/2005)
Deck condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)Superstructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)Substructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)Appraisal: Structurally deficient Sufficiency rating: 18.6 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic (as of 2005): 75
If you'd like to see another landmark near me (and if you haven't seen these photos already), check out my Flikr set on the Wichita River Corridor and Keeper of the Plains statue. Hopefully I'll be posting more local landmarks soon. I just have to finish weeding through my picture files to find the right ones!
11 comments:
Blue water in Texas rivers? Why do you think they call it the red river? What river does this bridge cross? The Nnesca? MUD
Love it, Jenni! B/W of bridges are always so dramatic.
I wonder what the draw of bridges really is about too. Maybe it's just the fact that they get us from here to there...
Lovely shots of the bridge, not sure if I would want to walk over it..Ü
Marie
Lovely photos. They make me yearn for the bridge that used to go across the Dan River in Danbury, NC. They took it down and replaced it with piece of massive concrete. Granted, it's easier to drive over, but it's lost all its charm.
Hi Jenni
Welcome to the Round Robin Challenges. My name is Carly. I am a big fan of bridge photography, so I have really enjoyed seeing your wonderful photography. You can captured the bridge beautifully. :) I hope you will join us for our next challenge, already posted on the official Round Robin blog. We will play the new challenge in a couple weeks. Hope to see you then.
All my best, Carly
Hi, and welcome to the Robins! Now you've got me all intrigued about the bridge's sinister past and (based on that low structural rating) uncertain future. But you're right; it's beautiful, especially as you've captured it here. I especially love the black and white shots, which emphasize its shape and age. I asked my husband, who is from Canton, Ohio, whether he's ever heard of the Wrought Iron Bridge Co. He said "No, but I'm not surprised."
Thanks for joining in with this great first entry!
That really is a beautiful old bridge. Your photos are fantastic and really show off the structure. Interesting that it has a history that no one will talk about - makes you wonder...
I love old bridges, and am glad you made it over and didn't fall through! Thanks for sharing these photos, and I wonder what the secret past of this bridge is!
That reminds me of a couple of bridges I have taken photos of but was too scared to cross. Thanx for including all the info in it.
I love bridges, and this one is fascinating. My late husband Steve once tried to explain how the engineering of bridge structure works but I can't remember what he said now. LOL! It does sound like it would be wise not to drive across this one and tempt fate. ;-) I wonder about the mystery surrounding it, too. Maybe you will be able to find out what the story is someday and post it here!
I like the first, thrid and last shots best. Great photos!
Martha ~ http://journals.aol.com/lifes2odd/perception/
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