Waco Suspension Bridge (NRHP #70000850) - Waco, Texas

The Waco Suspension Bridge was the first bridge across the Brazos River and the longest single span suspension bridge in the world when it was built. It was chartered by Waco stockholders on November 1, 1866. Colonel John T. Flint, President of the Waco Bridge Company, went to New York and contacted the John A. Roebling Company (designers of the Roebling Suspension Bridge completed in 1866 across the Ohio River bewteen Covington, KY and Cincinnati, OH and the Brooklyn Bridge completed in 1883 across the East River the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn). Engineer Thomas M. Griffith was sent to Waco to design the bridge. It is an early suspension bridge with two double cable towers of pink brick (now stuccoed) with superimposed arches connecting the two piers of each tower and crossing the road bed. Toll houses and walls terminate both ends of the bridge. It has a 475 foot span with the cable and related pieces tooled at eastern foundaries and shipped to Galveston. They were then shipped part of the way by rail and the rest of the way by ox teams. Thousands and thousands of local brick were used. The toll houses had stepped gable roofs, parapets, and round arched openings that are now closed up.

The bridge was opened January 7, 1870 and functioned for twenty years as a toll bridge with a 24 hour toll keeper. On September 1, 1889, it was purchased by McLennan County for $75,000 and conveyed to the city for one dollar.

From the beginning, the Waco Suspension Bridge also played a significant role in the history of Waco and the Chisholm Trail, a major cattle trail in the late 19th century used to drive cattle from Texas to Kansas for shipment to eastern markets. The trail was named after Jesse Chisholm, a trader of Scotch-Cherokee descent who pioneered the route in 1867. Upon completion of the bridge, it quickly became a vital transportation link for the cattle drives and other travelers passing through the area. The bridge is still standing today (as a pedestrian and bicycle bridge) and is a popular attraction for visitors to Waco.

The Waco Suspension Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on June 22, 1970. Most of the information above was found on the original documents submitted for listing consideration and can be viewed here:
catalog.archives.gov/id/40972989

Three bracketed photos were taken with a handheld Nikon D7200 and combined with Photomatix Pro to create this HDR image. Additional adjustments were made in Photoshop CS6.

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Taken in: United States / Texas / Waco (show map)

Taken on: April 30, 2024

Tags:

Waco Suspension Bridge

NRHP #70000850

Brazos River

longest single span suspension bridge in the world when it was built

chartered on November 1, 1866

Colonel John T. Flint

John A. Roebling Company

Thomas M. Griffith

475 foot span

opened January 7, 1870

functioned for twenty years as a toll bridge

purchased by McLennan County for $75,000

conveyed to the city for one dollar

Chisholm Trail

Jesse Chisholm

pedestrian and bicycle bridge

Waco, Texas

Waco

Texas

Waco, TX

McLennan County, Texas

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Camera: Nikon D7200, f/8.0, 18mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D7200
Aperture:	f/8.0
Focal Length:	18mm
ISO:	200
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
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