THE PETIT JEAN BOWSTRING BRIDGE, YELL COUNTY, ARKANSAS —Thanks to Randall and Shari Houp of Alma, Arkansas, we learned of the existence of a 1870s vintage King patented bowstring located across the Petit Jean River near Danville in Yell County, Arkansas. The bridge appears to be in an area controlled by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and still has a builders plate with the Z. King patent of July 2, 1867 noted. While the 1874 King Bowstring across Cadron Creek in Springfield, has been known to local pontists and documented by HAER, the Petit Jean bowstring is a new find. 

Charles Bowden, a local pontist, had also discovered the bridge and Robert Scoggin, the Historic Resources Coordinator for the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department has been looking into ways to have the bridge placed on the National Historic Register. James Baughn has great pictures of the bridge on his website, some taken by Wayne Kazziar (if not able to find with the Our "Petit Jean Bowstring Bridge" was built July 1880 at Danville Arkansas , across the Petit Jean River. It was built by the KING IRON BRIDGE COMPANY at the cost to Yell County Arkansas of $3100.00. It was described as the "new Z King's latest improved patent tubular arched bridge". The two stone piers were built by Tillman Gaydon at the cost of $900.00.

The wood deck and approaches were built by William H. Ferguson at the cost of $10.00 a foot for the span and $2.00 per foot for the approaches or trestle work. ( dimensions of piers and approaches on final report ). Each approach was a 100 foot apiece.  The 100 foot bowstring bridge  was replaced in 1920 by a new, wider bridge at the same location, on the same piers that had been widened to accommodate the larger bridge. In late 1920.  Thanks to then County Judge, T.E.Wilson, our bowstring was re- assembled at its current location of Mickles Arkansas at the cost of a $1000.00  plus donations by various citizens of Yell County. It replaced an old wood bridge that was in poor condition and deemed unsafe.

 This answers why our bowstring is in its condition today.  Due to the fact that at that time in 1920 the old Danville Bowstring wasn't supposed to be used again, it was most likely thrown  around and roughly handled. This answers why our Bowstring, at its current location, is dented up, has parts missing, and has been welded at several locations.

 County court records refer to this bridge as the "MICKLES BRIDGE" ; earlier records refer the Bowstring a the "DANVILLE BRIDGE".

I am still doing further research on this plus on the Rocky Crossing  Triple Bowstring Bridge and will send by mail my final documented report hopefully by October 1st.The pen and ink drawing done by an artist for the C.S. Burch Co., of Chicago Illinois in the early 1880's and titled " Bridge near Danville", is definitely our bowstring.James, please put this on your website. I am also requesting that this bridge be called  the DANVILLE- MICKLES BOWSTRING BRIDGE.This would also help in getting support from Danville itself for the restoration and preservation of this bridge. I think that the old Sturgis Bridge at Gold Creek, just south of Conway is a good example that history doesn't have to be destroyed.

 I am going to Danville, again , for two days August 22nd and 23rd to do further research at the courthouse and library. I honestly feel to that the two old stone piers located just south of the present day cement bridge.in Danville are from the old Danville bridge. If I can measure the piers and the distance between them and they match the 1920 measurements I'll be correct in my assumption. More to follow on this too.

Thanks for your support!!!

Randall ( ghostbridgehunter)

3.     THE OLD RICHARDSVILLE ROAD BOWSTRING,  BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY – Back in February of 2006, Doug Schmucker, a structural engineer teaching at Western Kentucky University sent us some outstanding pictures of a beautifully preserved 1889 three span King bowstring across the Barren River . Apparently a private citizen, David Garvin, has played a major role in maintaining the bridge which is still open to light traffic. Its bridge plate is still in place and the bridge provides as an excellent teaching tool for aspiring civil and structural engineers.

4.     THE MILLER BRIDGE, MADISON COUNTY, IOWA – There is a King Bridge in MADISON COUNTY, famous for the movie, “The Bridges of Madison County”.  It is an 1884 Pratt Pony Truss near Winterset that is still in service and included in the Iowa Department of Transportation’s historic bridge survey. The Iowa DOT website notes the existence of 16 additional King bridges (including those of George King, Zenas’s nephew and one-time agent) built during the three decades from 1870 to 1900. We received some new pictures this year from Michael Finn of Wapsi Valley Archeology who has been doing research on the Miller Bridge (finn@cedar-rapids.net). We are glad to see that it is still a useful structure, perhaps even in a movie shot.  See http://www.ole.dot.state.ia.us/historicbridge/detail.asp?id=139

5.     THE WABASH CANNONBALL BRIDGE, ST. FRANCISVILLE, ILLINOIS – We learned from Dan Reitmeyer of CLR Inc. Construction/Transportation of Vincennes, Indiana that the bridge has been closed temporarily for repairs to the roadway so that it can continue to function to carry light traffic across the Wabash River. Also, James Baughn has pictures of this bridge on his website (http://bridges.midwestplaces.com/il/lawrence/st-francisville). This bridge has a most interesting history (see the RAILROAD SPECIAL and MOVEABLE BRIDGES sections). Dan reports also that his firm will also be making some repairs to the Boner Bowstring Bridge (see PRESERVATION section).

6.     THE ERIE RAILROAD THROUGH TRUSS, CARROLTON, NEW YORK – Late last year, we receive an email with pictures from Gail Thompson, Archeologist for the Seneca Nation of Indians Tribal Historic Preservation Office in Salamanca, N.Y. of this imposing abandoned bridge on tribal lands. The office is trying to document the history of the bridge to list it on the National Historic Register. It was documented in 1971 by HAER. While it looks like it might possibly be a King Bridge, both expert pontists, Daniel Alward of Venangoil and Jim Stewart have not found evidence of the builder in their research to date. Do any of you have any more information or clues?? (http://www.venangoil.com/bridgesriversidejunction.html)

7.     THE WELLSBRIDGE THROUGH TRUSS, UNADILLA, NEW YORK – While we have long known of the existence of the two span standard Pratt trusses built by the King Bridge Company in 1886, thanks to Jim Stewart and Steve Schwartz, I finally had a chance to visit this bridge myself on July 15. It is one of the few King built through truss bridges in New York State, easily visible from the adjoining highway bridge taking State Route 44 across the Susquehanna River. The bridge is open for pedestrians and was apparently able to withstand the floods that occurred this spring. Unfortunately the number four bridge plate that was on this handsome bridge in earlier photographs has now disappeared. Check the 2004 UPDATE and the 2005 NY UPDATE for more information.

8.     KING BEAM GIRDER IN SAGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS – Ted Montrey of the Illinois Office of Water Resources sent us photos of a 1912 railroad bridge which the state plans to convert to pedestrian use as part of a rail-trail. It still has its builder’s plate. (ted.montery@illinois.gov)

9.     THE NEW RICHMOND RAILROAD OVERPASS, ALLEGAN COUNTY, MICHIGAN – This is another beam girder built in 1907 not far from the well-known 2^nd Street Through Truss in the City of Allegan. Nathan Holth has included it on his website with some interesting comments. (see http://www.historicbridges.org/beam/newrichmondrr/index.htm)

10.   THE PIERMONT, NEW YORK LIFTBRIDGE – This is a one-of-a-kind lift bridge that was built by the King Bridge Company in 1880 across a Hudson River inlet and still serves as a pedestrian crossing. While I had visited the bridge some years ago (see the MOVEABLE BRIDGES and 2005 NEW YORK UPDATE sections for old pictures), Dan Henry sent us some new photos taken in early 2006.

11.  THE RELOCATED MILL CREEK BRIDGE, ASHTABULA COUNTY, OHIO -- In July, I finally had the opportunity to take some pictures for myself the fine job done by Ashtabula County to relocate this elegant through truss to the Lake to River Rail Trail across Clay Road near Austinsburg. Our family charitable gift fund helped pay for the new bridge plates. (see the PRESERVATION section for more details.)

12.  THE HORTON ROAD THROUGH TRUSS, ASHTABULA COUNTY, OHIO – On the same trip, I was able to visit this fine 1899 Pratt truss crossing bucolic Conneaut Creek, one of a number of King bridges still standing in this historic bridge oriented county. However, we understand from the information on Ron Jones, Ohio Historic Bridges website (www.oldohiobridges.com) along with Nathan Holth (http://www.historicbridges.org) that is bridge is scheduled for replacement. Too bad. Also a twin of this bridge can be found in neighboring Crawford County, PA. It is the Conneaut Outlet Bridge on Stopp Road by Shaw’s Landing. It has an impressive King bridge plate and is documented on Holth’s website (http://www.historicbridges.org/truss/shaws/index.htm) and on Alwards venangoil site.(http://www.venangoil.com/bridgesshawslanding.html).