Marti Schmuck Smith asked if I might have images of the old iron Spy Run Bridge that was replaced with a new concrete one in 1958. Here's a few. [See 1913 Flood page]
I know an aerial of this has been posted before, but its such a great moment in time shot that it bares repeating as part of this Spy Run Bridge post.
Here's a couple shots taken in 1925-26 looking north across the Spy Run Bridge. These rare images are courtesy of train/interurban historian, and pal, Craig Berndt.
There are various reasons why we paint bridges across the state. See if you can guess some of them before watching the video below! pic.twitter.com/WSmvDzOzF6
Significance: The Wells Street Bridge (Allen County Bridge No. 542) over the Spy Run Creek is an 88-foot long, single-span, reinforced concrete arch. The bridge appears to use the Melan system of reinforcing, a system largely abandoned by 1914. The Wells Street Bridge (Allen County Bridge No. 542) is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places based on its engineering significance at the local level.
September 20, 2024 post with photos on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook discusses the Wells Street Bridge - Spanning Spy Run Creek at Wells Street - Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana showing Library of Congress - Photos from Survey HAER IN-84. Part of a Series of 16 Photographs (Undated). Bridge Information (1914): Engineer: O. B. Wiley, Contractor: Burk Construction Company (New Castle, Indiana). At the time of construction this was Lima Road. It was built in 1914 and soon after it was part of the early state highway system of Indiana.
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Interesting comments about bridges not always in Allen County, Indiana as historical bridge stories and information of any kind can be difficult to discover.
This is a picture of the building of the bridge in Lagro over the Wabash River taken about 1965. Note the old bridge...
This is a picture of the building of the bridge in Lagro over the Wabash River taken about 1965. Note the old bridge standing in the photo. According to Jim Smith the old iron bridge "rattled and shook when all but the lightest vehicles crossed it.” The new bridge straightened the road going into Lagro quite a bit. Ed Siders recalls “Dave Stewart & I walked across the new bridge on the trusses before it was completed. Summer fun.”
On the north side of the bridge the town has improved the area with improvements to the boat landing, enhanced parking and public bathroom. At one time there was consideration given to putting up a statue of Chief Legros, just off the new hiking trail.
Long ago before the bridge, there was a feeder dam to the east of the bridge making the water so low and the bottom solid enough that people forded there. The first bridge across the river at LaGro was built by Joe Watson in 1842 and was blown from its foundation by a strong wind. The second bridge was built by J. Bratton and was also blown into the river, carrying with it a man and two horses, all escaped without injury. A third bridge was soon erected but the cover was left off. It was of the old wooden type and at either end was a sign which read “Five dollars fine for driving across this bridge faster than a slow walk.
In 1872 the Smith Bridge Company of Toledo, Ohio, built a Smith’s Combination Truss bridge at LaGro at a cost of $6,960. The bridge consisted of two spans 145 feet each “16 feet high, twenty feet out to out...floor beams 2 ½ to 12 inches, floor planks 2 ½ inches thick and of the best white oak. All other timber used shall be White Pine, Norway Pine and neatly planed with 2 coats of mineral paint and oil. The bridge to have the carrying capacity of 1,000 pounds per lineal foot.”
In April of 1892 an iron bridge was begun to replace the wooden bridge. On May 6. 1892 the work on the new bridge was washed away by high waters. However, after the water went down what had been washed away was recovered and the bridge finished by July 22nd
Beef cattle and hogs came into town under their own power, hitting on all four hoofs. In bringing such herds from the south to the LaGro market the bridge presented a sort of a problem to the herd drivers. Congestion at the end of the bridge sometimes caused a stampede and some unruly animals would break ranks and use their own judgment about crossing. Many an animal ended up in the river, in the backwash below the dam rolling for hours or even an entire day.
In spring, when the rains commenced, and the river began to rise the ice would begin to break up. Picture a block of ice several miles long, bank to bank wide and twelve to fifteen inches thick beginning to break up. The middle pier of the bridge stood directly in its path. With a crunching, grinding roar, that could be heard for a mile or more, these great blocks of ice battered and battled with the pier, striking it with tremendous force, piling against it in great masses that seemed nothing could withstand. At times people were forbidden to be on the bridge lest the pier give way. But, like the Rock of Gibraltar, the old pier stood its ground.
The building on the right was the Lagro Cafe. The large brick building on the left was being remodeled. Karen Thomas Long recalls “the Lagro Cafe building was an IGA grocery store at that time. Right across the street (catacorner) from the building on the left was Cappy Bumgartner's cafe.” Sally McKenzie adds “the light colored building on right belonged to my parents, Charles and Edith Stephenson who operated a grocery store there until 1985.”
