Aquilla Creek Truss Bridge

Duane's take

Here's my take on what the official marker has to say about this one. Now, some crossings have a story that's short on drama right up until the moment it isn't. The Aquilla Creek Truss Bridge is one of those.

The road crossing Aquilla Creek at this very point was built in 1875. Simple enough. But anyone who lived around here knew the trouble: when the rain came down heavy, that roadbed across Aquilla Creek turned impassable.

Not inconvenient. Impassable. You weren't getting across.

So come September of 1887, county Judge W. W. Evans decided enough was enough, and he contracted with the King Iron Bridge Company to build a proper span, 125 feet across, with a 100-foot approach on each side of the creek.

Sounded like a done deal. It was not a done deal. The King Iron Bridge Company did not complete the work.

Now the marker doesn't tell us why, and I won't pretend to know. What we do know is the contract got handed over to the Missouri Valley Bridge Iron Works, out of Leavenworth, Kansas. Those folks finished the bridge in 1892, and they were paid three thousand dollars for the effort.

Three thousand dollars, a bridge that stands. That's the transaction. Now here's the part that puts this bridge in a lonelier category than you might expect.

Two other iron truss bridges were built over Aquilla Creek, one between Waco and Gholson, and another between West and Gholson. Both of them were torn down in the 1950s. Gone.

This one survived. A concrete bridge was built for vehicular traffic in 1998, so the old truss bridge didn't have to carry cars anymore. And when the question came up about what to do with it, strong local support is what saved it.

Not a government mandate. Not paperwork. People who cared.

The last iron truss bridge over Aquilla Creek, still standing on account of the folks who said it ought to be.

What the marker says

The road crossing Aquilla Creek at this point was built in 1875. In times of heavy rainfall the condition of the roadbed across Aquilla Creek was impassable. In September 1887 county Judge W. W. Evans contracted with the King Iron Bridge Company to build a span of 125 feet with a 100-foot approach on each side of the creek. The King Iron Bridge Company did not complete the work, and the contract was given to the Missouri Valley Bridge Iron Works of Leavenworth, Kansas. That company finished the bridge in 1892 and was paid $3,000. Two other iron truss bridges were built over Aquilla Creek between Waco and Gholson and between West and Gholson. Both were torn down in the 1950s. A concrete bridge was built for vehicular traffic in 1998; this historic bridge was saved due to strong local support. (2000)