Suspension Bridges 1850-1883 (101-200 of 258)


This is a list of bridges 101 through 200 (of 258 total) in the suspension bridge inventory completed from 1850 through 1883, the year the Brooklyn Bridge was completed. Wherever you see a Bridgemeister ID number click it to isolate the bridge on its own page.

Related Lists:

1859: Sully-sur-Loire

Sully-sur-Loire and Saint-Père-sur-Loire, Loiret, France - Loire River
Bridgemeister ID:1709 (added 2005-03-30)
Year Completed:1859
Name:Sully-sur-Loire
Location:Sully-sur-Loire and Saint-Père-sur-Loire, Loiret, France
Crossing:Loire River
Use:Vehicular
Status:Collapsed, 1985
Main Cables:Chain (iron)
Main Spans:3
Side Spans:2

Notes:

  • 1859: The former three-span Sully-sur-Loire suspension bridge, heavily damaged by flood in 1856, is replaced with a suspension bridge having at least five suspended spans.
  • 1933: Refurbished.
  • 1940, June 18: Destroyed to slow advancing German troops.
  • 1943: Repaired.
  • 1944: Bombed by allied forces.
  • 1947: Rebuilt.
  • 1985, January 16: Collapsed.
  • Replaced 1836 Sully-sur-Loire - Sully-sur-Loire and Saint-Père-sur-Loire, Loiret, France.

External Links:

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg Postcard, collection of David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1859: Verdon

Gréoux-les-Bains, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France - Verdon River
Bridgemeister ID:3215 (added 2019-11-11)
Year Completed:1859
Name:Verdon
Location:Gréoux-les-Bains, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
Crossing:Verdon River
Use:Vehicular
Status:Destroyed, August, 1944
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1860: Allegheny River

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA - Allegheny River
Bridgemeister ID:59 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1860
Name:Allegheny River
Also Known As:Sixth Street, St. Clair
Location:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Crossing:Allegheny River
Principals:John A. Roebling
References:BOB, BOP, BPL, HBE, PBR, PTS2, SJR
Use:Vehicular, with walkway
Status:Replaced, 1892
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:4
Main Spans:2 x 104.9 meters (344 feet)
Side Spans:2 x 52.1 meters (171 feet)
Deck width:40 feet

Notes:

  • BPL cites this bridge as the first suspension bridge with metal towers. However, at least two earlier suspension bridges (1857 Watertown, New York and 1856 Bidwell Bar, California) are known to have metal towers and even Roebling's 1846 Smithfield Street Bridge in Pittsburgh had cast iron towers.
  • Next to 1884 North Side (Seventh Street) - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

External Links:

Stereoview, collection of David Denenberg

1860: Auburn-Coloma

Auburn and Coloma, California, USA - North Fork American River
Bridgemeister ID:274 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1860
Name:Auburn-Coloma
Location:Auburn and Coloma, California, USA
Crossing:North Fork American River
Principals:John Mollett
References:PTS2
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

Postcard, courtesy of Kevin Walsh

1860: Grand Falls

Grand Falls, New Brunswick, Canada - St. John River
Bridgemeister ID:60 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1860
Name:Grand Falls
Location:Grand Falls, New Brunswick, Canada
Crossing:St. John River
Principals:James Tomlinson
References:AAJ
Use:Vehicular (two-lane)
Status:Replaced, 1915
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 63.9 meters (209.75 feet)
Deck width:16 feet

Notes:

  • Out of use, 1912.
Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

1860: Lascellas

Lascellas, Huesca, Spain - Rio Alcanadre
Bridgemeister ID:4718 (added 2020-06-26)
Year Completed:1860
Name:Lascellas
Location:Lascellas, Huesca, Spain
Crossing:Rio Alcanadre
Coordinates:42.096776 N 0.107794 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • Deck wrecked circa 1939. Bridge appears to have been replaced soon after.

External Links:


1860: Ponte delle Catene

Fornoli, Bagni di Lucca and Chifenti, Italy - Lima River
Bridgemeister ID:411 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1860
Name:Ponte delle Catene
Also Known As:Catena, Bridge of Chains
Location:Fornoli, Bagni di Lucca and Chifenti, Italy
Crossing:Lima River
Coordinates:44.006048 N 10.562356 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Lorenzo Nottolini, Bettino Ricasoli
References:BC2, BC3
Use:Vehicular
Status:Restricted to foot traffic (last checked: 2019)
Main Cables:Chain (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • Damaged during WWII, rebuilt 1953.

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1860: Port Gibson

Grindstone Ford, Port Gibson vicinity, Mississippi, USA - Bayou Pierre
Bridgemeister ID:1659 (added 2005-03-19)
Year Completed:1860
Name:Port Gibson
Location:Grindstone Ford, Port Gibson vicinity, Mississippi, USA
Crossing:Bayou Pierre
References:PTS2
Status:Removed, circa 1920's

Notes:

  • Partially burned by retreating Confederate troops May 2nd, 1863 during the Vicksburg Campaign of the Civil War. Union troops extinquished the fire and quickly repaired the bridge.
  • Demolished, circa 1920's. Descriptions for the Vicksburg Campaign imply there may have been another suspension bridge in the Port Gibson area.

1861: Connellsville

Connellsville and New Haven, Pennsylvania, USA - Youghiogheny River
Bridgemeister ID:278 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1861
Name:Connellsville
Location:Connellsville and New Haven, Pennsylvania, USA
Crossing:Youghiogheny River
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1861: Gauley River

Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, USA - Gauley River
Bridgemeister ID:2123 (added 2006-09-17)
Year Completed:1861
Name:Gauley River
Location:Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, USA
Crossing:Gauley River
Principals:John W. Murphy
References:AAJ
Use:Vehicular
Status:Destroyed, 1862
Main Cables:Wire (iron)

Notes:

  • Don Sayenga writes:
    "It was built in great haste out of military necessity utilizing abutments and piers of an earlier wooden bridge that had been burnt by a unit of the Confederate Army commanded by Gen. John B. Floyd. This occurred just after the fight known as the Battle of Carnifex Ferry on September 10, 1861. Later the Confederate Army recaptured the bridge location and burnt the new one also. The designer/builder was John W. Murphy (1828-1874) who was working as an engineer in Alabama when the war began in 1861. He held a Civil Engineer degree from Rensselaer. Murphy's concept involved multiple factory-made wire ropes as main cables combined with wooden bracing. The exact location of the bridge seems to have been called the New River Cliffs but I haven't found this on a map. Photos of the bridge came into the possession of Prof. George Plympton, an associate of Murphy's in the latter part of his career. Plympton presented a paper about bridges in 1894 reported by The Railroad Gazette August 24. The photos were given to the Gazette - one of their artists converted the photos to pen-and-ink drawings for publication in the issue of November 9, 1894, p. 773."
    Don transcribed the following:

    The Railroad Gazette, August 24, 1894, Page 579.
    "Prof. Plympton then related two reminiscences of bridge building between 1852 and 1861...The other instance was the building of a military suspension bridge over the Gauley River in 1861. The government called for a bridge of sufficient strength to permit the passage of General Rosecrans corps, allowing twenty-four days' time. The abutments and piers of the former bridge remained in good condition. Murphy submitted an original plan, which was accepted. The plans were drawn up by Mr. Murphy on the cars, while he was traveling to Washington to submit his ideas to the United States army en gineers. The plans were accepted and Murphy at once went to work. Four one-inch wire ropes, laid side by side, formed his cables. A pyramidal tower was constructed of heavy timbers, and in place of suspending rods a loosely-formed truss was hung upon the cable without fastening. This truss, connected with the floor of the bridge, was finished on the 22nd day after receiving the order to build."
    Proceedings of the Franklin Institute, October 21, 1874, Page 306.
    "It was a suspension bridge 520 feet in length, 10 feet roadway, consisting of three spans, supported by eight cables. There was some doubt in the mind of the commanding officer that it would answer the purpose...To test it ...he asked that a battalion be ordered to make a charge over it, which was done, to the satisfaction of the General in command...it afterwards passed and repassed the whole command as long as they occupied that portion of the country. A change of base put it into the possession of the Confederates who burnt it down."
  • An article in the July 15, 1951 edition of The Charleston Daily Mail describes the bridge and its demise:
    "After the Confederate forces had retreated and burned the old covered bridge, the Federal engineers constructed a make-shift bridge across the Gauley. There are pictures in existence showing this light, cable bridge erected on the old piers of the original bridge. This structure was cut down Sept. 11, 1862, when the Federals retreated from an attack by Confederate Gen. W. W. Loring, who routed the Unionists from the valley for a brief time."
  • Jakkula has an 1862 entry for "Gauley River Bridge" with little information, citing the American Railroad Journal, Vol. 37, No. 1472, July 2, 1864, p.651: "A suspension bridge built over the Gauley River, Virginia, by the Government in 1862." It is unclear if this reference is for the same bridge.

1861: Gray

Gray, Haute-Saône, France - Saône River
Bridgemeister ID:1127 (added 2004-01-14)
Year Completed:1861
Name:Gray
Location:Gray, Haute-Saône, France
Crossing:Saône River
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1861: Portsmouth

Portsmouth, Ohio, USA - Scioto River
Bridgemeister ID:61 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1861
Name:Portsmouth
Location:Portsmouth, Ohio, USA
Crossing:Scioto River
Principals:Max J. Becker
References:EOV
Status:Removed

Notes:


1861: Weitchpec

Weitchpec, California, USA - Klamath River
Bridgemeister ID:1090 (added 2004-01-01)
Year Completed:1861
Name:Weitchpec
Location:Weitchpec, California, USA
Crossing:Klamath River
Principals:Andrew S. Hallidie
References:DSL200106
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:


1862: (footbridge)

Greystead, England, United Kingdom - River North Tyne
Bridgemeister ID:1252 (added 2004-02-21)
Year Completed:1862
Name:(footbridge)
Location:Greystead, England, United Kingdom
Crossing:River North Tyne
Coordinates:55.169017 N 2.353408 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Footbridge
Status:Extant (last checked: 2019)
Main Cables:Chain
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

External Links:

  • Bridges on the Tyne. "Built to connect with Thorneyburn station on the Border Counties Railway."

1862: (suspension bridge)

California, USA - Trinity River
Bridgemeister ID:1093 (added 2004-01-01)
Year Completed:1862
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:California, USA
Crossing:Trinity River
Principals:Andrew S. Hallidie
References:DSL200106
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (iron)

1862: (suspension bridge)

California, USA - Stanislaus River
Bridgemeister ID:1094 (added 2004-01-01)
Year Completed:1862
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:California, USA
Crossing:Stanislaus River
Principals:Andrew S. Hallidie
References:DSL200106
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (iron)

1862: (suspension bridge)

California, USA - Tuolumne River
Bridgemeister ID:1095 (added 2004-01-01)
Year Completed:1862
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:California, USA
Crossing:Tuolumne River
Principals:Andrew S. Hallidie
References:DSL200106
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire

1862: (suspension bridge)

McCourtney's Crossing, California, USA - Bear River
Bridgemeister ID:1092 (added 2004-01-01)
Year Completed:1862
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:McCourtney's Crossing, California, USA
Crossing:Bear River
Principals:Andrew S. Hallidie
References:DSL200106
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (iron)

1862: Bessan

Bessan, Hérault, France - Hérault River
Bridgemeister ID:1938 (added 2005-10-29)
Year Completed:1862
Name:Bessan
Location:Bessan, Hérault, France
Crossing:Hérault River
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1862: Chatham

Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA - Rappahannock River
Bridgemeister ID:271 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1862
Name:Chatham
Location:Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA
Crossing:Rappahannock River
Coordinates:38.304981 N 77.456280 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Washington A. Roebling
References:GB
Status:Destroyed
Main Cables:Wire

Notes:

  • After several attempts by the Union Army to restore Rappahannock River bridges near Fredericksburg with pontoon bridges during the Civil War, Washington Roebling built a temporary wire suspension bridge on the piers of the former Chatham Bridge. The suspension bridge may have had twelve or more suspended spans (the former Chatham Bridge supposedly had 13 piers). Started July 1 and completed July 18, it survived less than two months, destroyed on September 1, 1862 by an evacuating Union Army.

External Links:


1862: Gloucester Street

Christchurch, New Zealand - Avon River
Bridgemeister ID:655 (added 2003-03-08)
Year Completed:1862
Name:Gloucester Street
Location:Christchurch, New Zealand
Crossing:Avon River
References:GAP

1862: Lambeth

London, England, United Kingdom - River Thames
Bridgemeister ID:829 (added 2003-05-31)
Year Completed:1862
Name:Lambeth
Location:London, England, United Kingdom
Crossing:River Thames
Principals:P. W. Barlow
References:BRB, HBE, ONF, PTS2
Use:Vehicular, with walkway
Status:Replaced, 1932
Suspended Spans:3
Main Spans:3 x 81.7 meters (268 feet)

External Links:

Stereograph card, collection of David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1862: Pine Street

Nevada City, California, USA - Deer Creek
Bridgemeister ID:62 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1862
Name:Pine Street
Location:Nevada City, California, USA
Crossing:Deer Creek
Principals:Andrew S. Hallidie
References:DSL200106
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Photo courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

1862: Rattlesnake Bar

Folsom vicinity, California, USA - American River
Bridgemeister ID:1091 (added 2004-01-01)
Year Completed:1862
Name:Rattlesnake Bar
Location:Folsom vicinity, California, USA
Crossing:American River
At or Near Feature:Rattlesnake Bar
Coordinates:38.814397 N 121.091726 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Andrew S. Hallidie
References:DSL200106
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Collapsed, December 21, 1954
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • The location of Rattlesnake Bar is closer to present-day Auburn than Folsom, near the location of Goose Flat marked on modern topographical maps of the region. The area was inundated during the creation of Folsom Lake, but the piers and abutments of the Rattlesnake Bar bridge are visible when the water level is low.
  • Rodi Lee writes: "[The bridge] collapsed in 1954 when an overweight truck filled with manure crossed it. The driver was unhurt. There are newspaper articles about the incident (Auburn Journal, Auburn). There are some photos in the article as well. The bridge abutments show when the the lake water is low. The bridge was upstream of Wild Goose Flats."
  • See 1855 Whiskey Bar (Pioneer, Whisky) - El Dorado County, California, USA. The cables of the Rattlesnake Bar bridge were reportedly reused from the damaged Whiskey Bar bridge.

External Links:

Photo courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Photo by Jerry Van Lengen Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1863: Alexandra

Spuzzum, British Columbia, Canada - Fraser River
Bridgemeister ID:63 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1863
Name:Alexandra
Also Known As:Trutch's
Location:Spuzzum, British Columbia, Canada
Crossing:Fraser River
Principals:Andrew S. Hallidie, Joseph W. Trutch
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed, 1912
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Main Span:1 x 82 meters (269 feet)

Notes:

Sketch by Franklin Leonard Pope, courtesy of Kathy Latini Photograph, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1863: Confolent

Confolent, Beauzac vicinity and Saint-Marice-de-Lignon, Haute-Loire, France - Loire River
Bridgemeister ID:412 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1863
Name:Confolent
Also Known As:Lignon
Location:Confolent, Beauzac vicinity and Saint-Marice-de-Lignon, Haute-Loire, France
Crossing:Loire River
Coordinates:45.258031 N 4.144228 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Adolphe Boulland
References:BPF
Use:Vehicular (one-lane), with walkway
Status:In use (last checked: 2019)
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • Cables damaged 1913, 1921. Refurbished 1922.

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1863: Lamb's

Latrobe vicinity and Plymouth vicinity, California, USA - Cosumnes River
Bridgemeister ID:2117 (added 2006-09-10)
Year Completed:1863
Name:Lamb's
Location:Latrobe vicinity and Plymouth vicinity, California, USA
Crossing:Cosumnes River
Coordinates:38.52222 N 120.95587 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Derelict (last checked: 2020)
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • The location coordinates provided here are the approximate location of this bridge, crossing the Cosumnes between present day El Dorado and Amador counties at Michigan Bar (as named on USGS topographical maps) on current Latrobe Road where Clark Creek meets the Cosumnes River. Note that USGS topographical maps show another, more prominently marked, "Michigan Bar" a few miles west in Sacramento County.
  • A California Highways and Public Works article (unsure of exact citation but it may be the article on the history of California bridges that appeared in the 1941 June issue and was reprinted in the 1950 September/October issue) says "there were four [suspension bridges] on the Cosumnes River, one of which (Lamb's Bridge on the Latrobe-Plymouth Road) killed one man and seven horses when it fell in 1869."
  • The October 14, 1976 edition of The Mountain Democrat Times (Placerville, California) has an article about the nearby Huse Bridge (from the Heritage Association of El Dorado) which mentions Lamb's Bridge: "...Lamb's Bridge, several miles downriver, was reconstructed in 1872 and was also a wire bridge of the same type [as Huse's]."
  • The Statutes of California passed at the Fourteenth Session of the Legislature, 1863 records: "Chapter XLI. An Act to grant to Larkin Lamb and his Associates the right to construct and maintain a Toll Bridge across the Cosumnes River, in the Counties of Amador and El Dorado. Approved March 6, 1863. The People of the State of California, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: Section 1. Larkin Lamb, and those he may associate with him, their heirs and assigns, shall have full power to build, erect, construct, and maintain a public toll bridge across the Cosumnes River, at a point about eighty (80) rods below Dutch Hill;..."
  • A November 12, 2017 article in Ledger Dispatch (of Amador and Calaveras counties) titled "Vestiges of Amador-Communities Along the Cosumnes, Part VI: The Lower Reaches - Michigan Bar to Wisconsin Bar" by Deborah Coleen Cook gives a more complete history of Lamb's bridge citing the enactment (February 9, 1863) of the bill to permit construction, construction completing six months later, failure of one of the cables in 1869 under the weight of a large freight wagon, and another cable/anchorage failure in 1872 while the bridge was undergoing major repairs.
  • See 1852 Huse - Yeomet, California, USA.
  • See 1852 Wilson's - Cosumne, California, USA.
Photo by Stephen Porten Photo by Sheila Elworthy

1863: Ponsonnas

Ponsonnas, Isère, France - Drac River
Bridgemeister ID:1079 (added 2003-12-29)
Year Completed:1863
Name:Ponsonnas
Location:Ponsonnas, Isère, France
Crossing:Drac River
Use:Vehicular
Status:Replaced, 1941
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 123 meters (403.5 feet)

Notes:

  • Replaced by a 1941 arch bridge that is popular with bungee jumpers.

External Links:

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1863: Rousset

Rousset, Curbans vicinity, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes, France - Durance River
Bridgemeister ID:2063 (added 2006-06-06)
Year Completed:1863
Name:Rousset
Location:Rousset, Curbans vicinity, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes, France
Crossing:Durance River
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1864: (suspension bridge)

Porta Westfalica, Germany - Weser River
Bridgemeister ID:637 (added 2003-02-13)
Year Completed:1864
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:Porta Westfalica, Germany
Crossing:Weser River
References:BRU, PTS2
Use:Rail and Vehicular
Status:Destroyed, April 3, 1945
Main Cables:Eyebar (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • At the time of completion, the bridge connected the villages of Barkhausen and Hausberge, later merged into Porta Westfalica.
Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

1864: Archidiacre

Venterol, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Valserres, Hautes-Alpes, France - Durance River
Bridgemeister ID:4690 (added 2020-06-20)
Year Completed:1864
Name:Archidiacre
Also Known As:Venterol
Location:Venterol, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Valserres, Hautes-Alpes, France
Crossing:Durance River
Coordinates:44.475805 N 6.111924 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Demolished, 2010
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1864: Aspern

Vienna, Austria
Bridgemeister ID:3076 (added 2019-10-26)
Year Completed:1864
Name:Aspern
Location:Vienna, Austria
Coordinates:48.211858 N 16.383001 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Friedrich Schnirch
References:AAJ, PTS2
Use:Vehicular
Status:Demolished, 1913
Main Cables:Eyebar (iron)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1864: Clifton

Bristol, England, United Kingdom - River Avon
Bridgemeister ID:413 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1864
Name:Clifton
Location:Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Crossing:River Avon
Coordinates:51.45496 N 2.62781 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Isambard K. Brunel, P.W. Barlow, Hawkshaw
References:AOB, BBR, BC3, BEM, BMA, BOU, BRB, CTW, HBE, NTB, ONF, PTS2
Use:Vehicular, with walkway
Status:In use (last checked: 2021)
Main Cables:Eyebar (iron)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 214 meters (702 feet)

Notes:

External Links:

Photo by David Denenberg Photo by Bill Campbell Photo by Cath Brown Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1864: Franklin

Franklin, Pennsylvania, USA - Allegheny River
Bridgemeister ID:3186 (added 2019-11-09)
Year Completed:1864
Name:Franklin
Location:Franklin, Pennsylvania, USA
Crossing:Allegheny River
Principals:John Murphy
References:AAJ
Status:Destroyed, 1870

Notes:

  • 1870: Cable ends caught fire precipitating collapse, killing two.

1864: Taieri River

Outram, New Zealand - Taieri River
Bridgemeister ID:656 (added 2003-03-08)
Year Completed:1864
Name:Taieri River
Also Known As:West Taieri
Location:Outram, New Zealand
Crossing:Taieri River
Principals:John Turnbull Thomson
References:GAP
Use:Vehicular
Status:Replaced, 1966
Main Cables:Eyebar (iron)
Suspended Spans:4
Main Spans:2
Side Spans:2

External Links:


1865: Market Street

Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA - Susquehanna River
Bridgemeister ID:64 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1865
Name:Market Street
Location:Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA
Crossing:Susquehanna River
Principals:Alfred P. Boller
References:AAJ, JFI186604
Use:Vehicular
Status:Destroyed, June 1, 1889
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:5
Main Spans:5 x 61 meters (200 feet)

Notes:

Stereoview, collection of David Denenberg

1865: Moulin

Vernosc-lès-Annonay, Ardèche, France - Cance River
Bridgemeister ID:4553 (added 2020-05-31)
Year Completed:1865
Name:Moulin
Location:Vernosc-lès-Annonay, Ardèche, France
Crossing:Cance River
Coordinates:45.210908 N 4.703327 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • Structurae equates this bridge (which was replaced in 2012-2013) to the famous Seguin Brothers test structure at Annonay. Other sources suggest the derelict bridge replaced in 2012-2013 only dated to the 1860s. The detailed description and depiction of the Seguin's Annonay bridge in Tom F. Peters book on early 19th-century suspension bridges definitely does not resemble the 19th-century Moulin bridge. Peters describes the 1822-1823 Seguin bridge as a very narrow, very light, catwalk-style bridge. Peters additionally describes the main cables: "It had a single continuous parallel wire cable made of eight 1.23mm (no. 8 gauge) wires."
  • Replaced by 2013 Moulin - Vernosc-lès-Annonay, Ardèche, France.
  • See 1822 (footbridge) - Annonay, Ardèche, France.

External Links:


1866: (suspension bridge)

Nashville and Edgefield, Tennessee, USA - Cumberland River
Bridgemeister ID:1965 (added 2005-11-20)
Year Completed:1866
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:Nashville and Edgefield, Tennessee, USA
Crossing:Cumberland River
References:AAJ
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed, 1884
Main Cables:Wire

Notes:


1866: Cessenon-sur-Orb

Cessenon-sur-Orb, Hérault, France - Orb River
Bridgemeister ID:7460 (added 2022-12-24)
Year Completed:1866
Name:Cessenon-sur-Orb
Location:Cessenon-sur-Orb, Hérault, France
Crossing:Orb River
Coordinates:43.451360 N 3.046595 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Replaced
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1867: (suspension bridge)

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA - Rio Grande
Bridgemeister ID:5559 (added 2020-12-18)
Year Completed:1867
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Crossing:Rio Grande
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire

Notes:

  • Likely completed 1867.

External Links:


1867: (suspension bridge)

Mataura, New Zealand
Bridgemeister ID:657 (added 2003-03-08)
Year Completed:1867
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:Mataura, New Zealand
Principals:John Turnbull Thomson
References:GAP

1867: Corrieshalloch

Braemore, Scotland, United Kingdom - Corrieshalloch Gorge
Bridgemeister ID:1308 (added 2004-04-10)
Year Completed:1867
Name:Corrieshalloch
Location:Braemore, Scotland, United Kingdom
Crossing:Corrieshalloch Gorge
At or Near Feature:Falls of Measach
Coordinates:57.755753 N 5.021048 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:John Fowler
References:AAJ, HBR
Use:Footbridge
Status:In use (last checked: 2022)
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 25.1 meters (82.5 feet)

Notes:

  • 2022, May: Closed again for maintenance and inspection, reopened by month's end.
  • AAJ lists the bridge at "Corry Halloch" bridge completed in 1875. Other sources mention 1867, and 1874.
  • 1977: Anchorages replaced (HBR).
  • 2021: Closed September 10 due to safety concerns. Repaired and re-opened in October.
Photo by Andrew Holbrook Photo by David Denenberg

1867: Doldowlod

Doldowlod, Llandrindod Wells, Wales, United Kingdom - River Wye
Bridgemeister ID:5085 (added 2020-09-04)
Year Completed:1867
Name:Doldowlod
Also Known As:Llanwrthyl, Ystrad
Location:Doldowlod, Llandrindod Wells, Wales, United Kingdom
Crossing:River Wye
Coordinates:52.244210 N 3.462324 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:William Dredge
Use:Footbridge
Status:In use (last checked: 2018)
Main Cables:Rod (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • Dredge patent bridge, possibly completed by his son William Dredge.

External Links:


1867: John A. Roebling

Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky, USA - Ohio River
Bridgemeister ID:65 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1867
Name:John A. Roebling
Also Known As:Cincinnati, Cincinnati and Covington
Location:Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky, USA
Crossing:Ohio River
Coordinates:39.09167 N 84.50833 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:John A. Roebling
References:BAAW, BC3, BOB, BPL, COB, EOV, HBE, LAB, LACE, ONF, PTS2, SJR, TOB
Use:Vehicular (two-lane), with walkway
Status:Closed, February, 2021 (last checked: 2021)
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:3
Main Span:1 x 322.2 meters (1,057 feet)
Side Spans:2

Notes:

External Links:

Photo by David Denenberg Photo by Wayne Grodkiewicz Photo by Patrick S. O'Donnell Photo by David Denenberg Photo by David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1867: Mosquito Road

Placerville, California, USA - South Fork American River
Bridgemeister ID:2323 (added 2007-05-06)
Year Completed:1867
Name:Mosquito Road
Location:Placerville, California, USA
Crossing:South Fork American River
Coordinates:38.775791 N 120.748441 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular
Status:Replaced
Main Cables:Wire

Notes:

  • The February 23, 1995 edition of the Mountain Democrat (Placerville, California) has an article about the Mosquito crossing that mentions: "According to the El Dorado County History of 1883 by Paolo Sioli, 'Mosquito is connected to Placerville by a good wagon-road and a suspension bridge across the South Fork of the American River, a trail is running in the direction of Kelsey, the township center... The original bridge was constructed in 1867, and according to Orval Beckett, as quoted in the booklet, Mosquito Memories, 'This original bridge had no banisters on the sides. It was a suspension cable with No. 9 telephone wires strung between the supports. When you drove onto the bridge, it would 'swing and sway' much like we have seen in the movies. When one end went down the other went up, etc. Imagine the thrill!'"
  • Replaced by 1939 Mosquito Road - Placerville, California, USA.

1867: Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

Paris, France
Bridgemeister ID:516 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1867
Name:Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
Location:Paris, France
At or Near Feature:Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
Coordinates:48.880933 N 2.381533 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
References:AAJ
Use:Footbridge
Status:In use (last checked: 2021)
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 61 meters (200 feet)

External Links:

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg Photo by David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1867: Public Garden

Boston, Massachusetts, USA - Public Garden lagoon
Bridgemeister ID:245 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1867
Name:Public Garden
Location:Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Crossing:Public Garden lagoon
Coordinates:42.354119 N 71.069920 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:William Gibbons Preston, Clemens Herschel
References:HBE
Use:Footbridge
Status:In use (last checked: 2019)
Main Cables:Eyebar (iron)
Suspended Spans:3
Main Span:1
Side Spans:2

External Links:

Stereoview, collection of David Denenberg Photo by Wayne Grodkiewicz Photo by David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1868: (suspension bridge)

Afton, New York, USA - Susquehanna River
Bridgemeister ID:66 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1868
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:Afton, New York, USA
Crossing:Susquehanna River
Principals:G. W. & J. V. V. Fishler, James Crowell
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 110.3 meters (362 feet)
Deck width:16 feet

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

1868: Blue Lick Springs

Kentucky, USA - Licking River
Bridgemeister ID:2659 (added 2019-03-09)
Year Completed:1868
Name:Blue Lick Springs
Location:Kentucky, USA
Crossing:Licking River
Coordinates:38.422314 N 83.999076 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • 1897: Replaced by two-span truss bridge that is still (as of 2019) at the same location. The truss bridge was built between the main suspension bridge cables and, apparently, the suspension bridge remained standing for several years.

1868: Calloway's Ford

Elizabethtown vicinity, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA - Whitewater River
Bridgemeister ID:68 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1868
Name:Calloway's Ford
Also Known As:Whitewater, Harrison's
Location:Elizabethtown vicinity, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA
Crossing:Whitewater River
Coordinates:39.183116 N 84.792638 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:John Gray, Morse, Young
References:EOV
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed, 1920
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Main Span:1 x 144.8 meters (475 feet)
Deck width:22 feet

Notes:

  • This bridge was located where present-day Suspension Bridge Road crosses the Whitewater River next to I-275 and north of US50. According to information provided by Sharon Lutz from Marjorie Byrnside Burress, this bridge was renamed "Harrison's Suspension Bridge" in 1891. This should not be confused with the nearby suspension bridge at Harrison.
  • According to the information provided by Sharon Lutz from Marjorie Byrnside Burress, "Crossing this bridge was the main thoroughfare from Indiana into Ohio for many years (US 50 was not completed by then). [In 1920] it was decided that the Suspension Bridge had become obsolete and could no longer safely withstand the weight of vehicles. [On May 19, 1920] the cables were severed by means of an oxygen flame, the weight of the cables pulled down some towers. Other towers were weakened by dynamite at their bases and later they were pulled down by the weight of the cables severed at one end with an oxygen flame."
  • See 1873 Harrison - Harrison, Ohio and Dearborn County, Indiana, USA.
Postcard, collection of David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1868: Carpenter's Point

Port Jervis, New Jersey, USA - Neversink River
Bridgemeister ID:2251 (added 2007-03-31)
Year Completed:1868
Name:Carpenter's Point
Location:Port Jervis, New Jersey, USA
Crossing:Neversink River
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Replaced, 1929
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • Was at location of current Tri-States Bridge.

1868: Eiserner Steg

Frankfurt, Germany - Main River
Bridgemeister ID:6429 (added 2021-08-11)
Year Completed:1868
Name:Eiserner Steg
Also Known As:Eiserne Steg
Location:Frankfurt, Germany
Crossing:Main River
Coordinates:50.108108 N 8.682128 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Peter Schmick
References:AAJ, PTS2
Use:Footbridge
Status:Replaced, 1912
Suspended Spans:3
Main Span:1
Side Spans:2

Notes:

  • A "stiffened" braced chain suspension bridge. Like several other similar eastern European bridges constructed in the late 1800s and early 1900s it is somewhat questionable whether this bridge should be included in a list of suspension bridges. It was replaced in 1912 by a cantilever bridge that resembles the shape and lines of the former suspension bridge.

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1868: High Street

Hamilton, Ohio, USA - Great Miami River
Bridgemeister ID:67 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1868
Name:High Street
Also Known As:Hamilton
Location:Hamilton, Ohio, USA
Crossing:Great Miami River
Principals:John Gray
References:EOV
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

External Links:


1868: Skippers Canyon

Maori Point vicinity, New Zealand - Shotover River
Bridgemeister ID:658 (added 2003-03-08)
Year Completed:1868
Name:Skippers Canyon
Location:Maori Point vicinity, New Zealand
Crossing:Shotover River
At or Near Feature:Skippers Canyon
Principals:John Turnbull Thomson
References:GAP
Use:Footbridge
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire

Notes:


1868: Wire

New Portland, Maine, USA - Carrabasset River
Bridgemeister ID:69 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1868
Name:Wire
Location:New Portland, Maine, USA
Crossing:Carrabasset River
Coordinates:44.890783 N 70.0925 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
References:BC3, BPL, GBD, LAB, RDH
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:In use (last checked: 2023)
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 60.5 meters (198.4 feet)

Notes:

  • BPL says c. 1866. Historic landmark plaque at bridge also says 1866.
  • Extensive repairs, 1960.

External Links:

Photo by David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1869: (footbridge)

Salado, Texas, USA - Salado Creek
Bridgemeister ID:920 (added 2003-10-18)
Year Completed:1869
Name:(footbridge)
Location:Salado, Texas, USA
Crossing:Salado Creek
At or Near Feature:Salado College
Use:Footbridge
Status:Destroyed, 1913
Main Cables:Wire (iron)

Notes:

  • Destroyed by flood, 1913.

1869: Chavanay

Chavanay, Loire and Isère, France - Rhône River
Bridgemeister ID:1702 (added 2005-03-29)
Year Completed:1869
Name:Chavanay
Location:Chavanay, Loire and Isère, France
Crossing:Rhône River
Coordinates:45.417327 N 4.740458 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular
Status:Only towers remain (last checked: 2019)
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • In 2019, one pair of pylons were still standing on the west bank of the Rhône.
Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1869: Clifton

Niagara Falls, New York, USA and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada - Niagara River
Bridgemeister ID:70 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1869
Name:Clifton
Also Known As:Niagara-Clifton, Falls View, First Falls View
Location:Niagara Falls, New York, USA and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Crossing:Niagara River
Principals:Samuel Keefer
References:AAJ, BPL, HBE, PTS2
Use:Vehicular
Status:Replaced, 1889
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Main Span:1 x 386.6 meters (1,268.3 feet)
Deck width:10 feet

Notes:

External Links:

Stereoview, collection of David Denenberg Stereoview, collection of David Denenberg Stereoview, collection of David Denenberg

1869: Drahtsteg

Passau, Bavaria, Germany - Danube River
Bridgemeister ID:5560 (added 2020-12-19)
Year Completed:1869
Name:Drahtsteg
Location:Passau, Bavaria, Germany
Crossing:Danube River
Coordinates:48.575501 N 13.472755 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
References:PTS2
Use:Footbridge
Status:Only towers remain, since 1910 (last checked: 2020)
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1869: Lordville

Lordville, New York and Equinunk, Pennsylvania, USA - Delaware River
Bridgemeister ID:71 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1869
Name:Lordville
Location:Lordville, New York and Equinunk, Pennsylvania, USA
Crossing:Delaware River
Coordinates:41.867938 N 75.213785 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:E.F. Farrington
References:BDR, BOL, PTS2
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Destroyed, 1903
Main Cables:Wire (iron)

Notes:

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

1869: Rudolfova Lávka

Prague, Czechia - Vltava River
Bridgemeister ID:5939 (added 2021-06-29)
Year Completed:1869
Name:Rudolfova Lávka
Also Known As:Rudolfsteg, Kettensteg, Železna Lávka
Location:Prague, Czechia
Crossing:Vltava River
Coordinates:50.090185 N 14.412677 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Karel Veselý, František Schön, Ruston and Co.
References:AAJ, PTS2
Use:Footbridge
Status:Removed, c. 1914
Main Cables:Chain (iron)

Notes:

  • Removed at some point after the adjacent Mánes bridge was opened in 1914.

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1869: San Francisco

Bilbao, Spain
Bridgemeister ID:3645 (added 2020-01-25)
Year Completed:1869
Name:San Francisco
Also Known As:Fueros
Location:Bilbao, Spain
Principals:Sabino Goicoechea
Status:Destroyed, 1874
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • Destroyed during the siege of Bilbao by Carlist forces in 1874.

1869: Stadspark

Antwerp, Belgium
Bridgemeister ID:2078 (added 2006-06-10)
Year Completed:1869
Name:Stadspark
Also Known As:City Park
Location:Antwerp, Belgium
Coordinates:51.211054 N 4.414975 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Cail et Halot
References:ISFF
Use:Footbridge
Status:In use (last checked: 2019)
Main Cables:Chain (iron)
Main Span:1 x 27.5 meters (90.2 feet)
Deck width:3.5

Notes:

  • Cables and deck replaced, 1976.

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1869: Swinging

Warren and Glade, Pennsylvania, USA - Conewango Creek
Bridgemeister ID:1623 (added 2005-02-27)
Year Completed:1869
Name:Swinging
Location:Warren and Glade, Pennsylvania, USA
Crossing:Conewango Creek
Coordinates:41.847389 N 79.141000 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Footbridge
Status:Replaced, 1904
Main Cables:Wire (iron)

Notes:

  • Coordinates indicate approximate original location of the bridge.
  • Destroyed by storm soon after completion and rebuilt.
  • Images of America: Warren by Jodi L. Brandon shows an image of this bridge with a caption stating the bridge was moved to Kelletville (in Forest County, Pennsylvania) in 1906.
Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1869: Waco

Waco, Texas, USA - Brazos River
Bridgemeister ID:72 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1869
Name:Waco
Location:Waco, Texas, USA
Crossing:Brazos River
Coordinates:31.561314 N 97.127063 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Thomas M. Griffith
References:AAJ, BC3, BPL, BRAZ, GBD, HAERTX98, HBE, PTS2, WSB
Use:Vehicular, with walkway
Status:Restricted to foot traffic (last checked: 2023)
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 144.8 meters (475 feet)
Deck width:18 feet

Notes:

  • 1915: Rebuilt.
  • 2020, October: Closed for restoration project expecting to last 18-24 months.
  • 2021, March: Major restoration project underway, led by Sparks Engineering, Inc.
  • 2023, April: The restored bridge is rededicated on April 22. Patrick Sparks of Sparks Engineering reports: . The rededication was held April 22, 2023. "The project involved full rehabilitation including: replacement of the suspension system and anchor rods, strengthening of the anchorages, replacement of the saddle bearings, retrofit strengthening of the east tower, and deck replacement (concrete on the main deck, tropical hardwood on the side walks)."

External Links:

Photo by Carla Pendergraft Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle Photo courtesy of Sparks Engineering, Inc.

1870: (footbridge)

Rockford, Illinois, USA - Kent Creek
Bridgemeister ID:594 (added 2003-01-11)
Year Completed:1870
Name:(footbridge)
Location:Rockford, Illinois, USA
Crossing:Kent Creek
At or Near Feature:Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum
Principals:Robert Tinker
Use:Footbridge
Status:Removed, 1976

Notes:


1870: Auzon

Auzon, Haute-Loire, France - Allier River
Bridgemeister ID:6936 (added 2022-01-22)
Year Completed:1870
Name:Auzon
Location:Auzon, Haute-Loire, France
Crossing:Allier River
Coordinates:45.385908 N 3.357088 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Removed, c. 1934
Main Cables:Wire
Main Span:1

Notes:

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1870: Big Flats

Big Flats, New York, USA
Bridgemeister ID:73 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1870
Name:Big Flats
Location:Big Flats, New York, USA
Status:Replaced, 1905
Main Cables:Wire (iron)

1870: Chehocton

Hancock, New York and Wayne County, Pennsylvania, USA - Delaware River
Bridgemeister ID:284 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1870
Name:Chehocton
Location:Hancock, New York and Wayne County, Pennsylvania, USA
Crossing:Delaware River
Principals:E.F. Farrington, John A. Roebling's Sons Co.
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed, 1937
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 144.8 meters (475 feet) estimated

Notes:

  • Replaced 1937.
Postcard, collection of David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1870: Draht

Kassel, Hessen, Germany - Fulda River
Bridgemeister ID:7753 (added 2023-07-22)
Year Completed:1870
Name:Draht
Also Known As:Wire
Location:Kassel, Hessen, Germany
Crossing:Fulda River
Coordinates:51.312209 N 9.504177 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Status:Destroyed, 1940
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1870: Finck's

Little Falls, New York, USA - Mohawk River
Bridgemeister ID:328 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1870
Name:Finck's
Also Known As:Fink's
Location:Little Falls, New York, USA
Crossing:Mohawk River
Coordinates:43.034102 N 74.830185 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
References:ONC
Use:Vehicular
Status:Destroyed, 1917
Main Cables:Wire

Notes:

  • Heavily damaged by fire, 1917.
  • Coordinates reflect where modern Fincks Basin Road meets the Mohawk River, likely approximate location of this bridge.
Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

1870: Gévrieux

Gévrieux, Ain, France - Ain River
Bridgemeister ID:7141 (added 2022-06-25)
Year Completed:1870
Name:Gévrieux
Location:Gévrieux, Ain, France
Crossing:Ain River
References:AGP
Use:Vehicular
Status:Replaced, 1908
Main Cables:Wire
Main Spans:2

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1870: Pond Eddy-Lumberland

Pond Eddy and Lumberland, New York, USA - Delaware River
Bridgemeister ID:297 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1870
Name:Pond Eddy-Lumberland
Also Known As:Decker's
Location:Pond Eddy and Lumberland, New York, USA
Crossing:Delaware River
Coordinates:41.439349 N 74.819723 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:James D. Decker
References:BDR
Use:Vehicular
Status:Destroyed, October 9, 1903
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:2
Main Spans:2
Deck width:12 feet

Notes:

  • Destroyed by flood.
  • Coordinates are for the replacement bridge. The suspension bridge would have been extremely close, if not on the same alignment as the replacement.
Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1870: Touzac

Touzac, Lot, France - Lot River
Bridgemeister ID:7962 (added 2023-11-23)
Year Completed:1870
Name:Touzac
Location:Touzac, Lot, France
Crossing:Lot River
Coordinates:44.496083 N 1.049472 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Closed, January 2022 (last checked: 2023)
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 110 meters (360.9 feet) estimated

Notes:

  • 2022, January 21: Bridge is severely damaged by a 40-ton truck attempting to cross. The bridge had a weight restriction of 16 tons since 1932. The long truck was also unable to negotiate the turn at the far end of the bridge and damaged the pylons attempting to reverse.
  • 2023, June: Repair work is expected to start in September 2023 and complete in late 2024.
Postcards, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1871: (suspension bridge)

Washburn's Eddy, New York, USA - Hudson River
Bridgemeister ID:74 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1871
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:Washburn's Eddy, New York, USA
Crossing:Hudson River
Principals:Robert Gilchrist
References:ABC
Status:Removed

Notes:


1871: Aboyne

Waterside, Aboyne vicinity, Scotland, United Kingdom - River Dee
Bridgemeister ID:2202 (added 2007-01-28)
Year Completed:1871
Name:Aboyne
Location:Waterside, Aboyne vicinity, Scotland, United Kingdom
Crossing:River Dee
Principals:Harper & Co.
References:HARPER
Use:Footbridge
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire
Main Span:1 x 91.4 meters (300 feet)

Notes:

  • HARPER: Likely destroyed by one of these major Dee River flood events: May 1913, December 1914, October 1920.

External Links:


1871: Boatford

Langholm, Borders, Scotland, United Kingdom - River Esk
Bridgemeister ID:1428 (added 2004-07-24)
Year Completed:1871
Name:Boatford
Location:Langholm, Borders, Scotland, United Kingdom
Crossing:River Esk
References:AAJ
Status:Collapsed

Notes:


1871: Coubon

Coubon and Volhac, Haute-Loire, France - Loire River
Bridgemeister ID:1724 (added 2005-04-05)
Year Completed:1871
Name:Coubon
Location:Coubon and Volhac, Haute-Loire, France
Crossing:Loire River
Use:Vehicular
Status:Destroyed, 1930
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1871: Ferry Street

Binghamton, New York, USA - Chenango River
Bridgemeister ID:276 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1871
Name:Ferry Street
Location:Binghamton, New York, USA
Crossing:Chenango River
Principals:John A. Roebling's Sons, Co.
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Removed, 1897
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 109.7 meters (360 feet)

Notes:

  • This bridge was close to the alignment of Binghamton's present Clinton Street bridge. It replaced a bridge that was destroyed by flood in 1865. It was condemned in 1896 and removed in 1897. History Of Broome County indicates an act was passed March 13th, 1871 authorizing the bridge with the contract let to "W.A. Roebling & Son" each cable consisting of seven steel wire ropes, each two inches in diameter.
  • An article from the Binghamton Democrat, July 20, 1871: "The Suspension Bridge -- The work on the west abutment of the suspension bridge has been commenced and will be rapidly as advisable pushed forward to completion, and soon thereafter the wire cables will be placed in position, the stays, supports and girders made fast, and ready for the flooring. In the course of six or eight weeks it is hoped that the bridge will be completed, and our people given another way of passing from the 1st to the 2nd wards, and the old-pleasant driveway re-opened, of which we have been debarred since the flood of St-Patrick's Day in the morning in [1865]. Upon the completion of this enterprise, surely no one will ever regret having voted in favor of the free suspension bridge."
  • An article from the Binghamton Democrat, Nov. 30, 1871: "The New Bridge -- Its Cost -- For the suspenssion [sic] bridge, the tax-payers voted $28,000. It is finished, and in the Common Council last evening it was asserted that it cost over $30,000 and still all the claims are not satisfied. Mr. Jas. Fanning, contractor for building abutments, seeks relief for $1,000 or upwards which he is out no account of his contract. His petition was after considerable skirmishing finally referred to a committee. We hold that this is wrong, the Common Council has nothing to do with this matter. Mayor Dwight published a card binding himself to pay all over $28,000 that the bridge would cost. The people voted that amount and their representatives have nothing to do with any further cost or expense arrising [sic] from that source."
  • Internet searches for this bridge often lead to an image on page 32 of the book "Binghamton", from the "Images of America" series, by Ed Aswad and Suzanne M. Meredith. However, that image is of the Warren Pensylvania suspension bridge and is erroneously captioned as the Binghamton Ferry Street bridge. The bridges may be sometimes confused because of similar surroundings and similar towers. Both are often depicted with a large warehouse building on the far side of the bridge, to the right. Both had "walk-through" towers where the pedestrian walkway passed through portals in the towers. Closer comparisons reveal the Warren towers are substantially larger than the Ferry Street towers. This is not surprising given the Warren bridge was substantially longer than the Ferry Street bridge. All this being said, there are different images purporting to be the Ferry Street bridge that show different towers. The stereoview image linked here appears to show the original towers. Later photos appear to show either replaced towers or, perhaps, the original towers clad in protective housing.
  • See 1871 Warren (Hickory Street) - Warren, Pennsylvania, USA. The two bridges are sometimes confused despite the significant size difference.
Stereoview, collection of David Denenberg

1871: Hunting

Shocklach Green vicinity, England, United Kingdom - River Dee
Bridgemeister ID:2191 (added 2007-01-26)
Year Completed:1871
Name:Hunting
Location:Shocklach Green vicinity, England, United Kingdom
Crossing:River Dee
Principals:Harper & Co.
References:HARPER
Use:Footbridge
Status:Removed, 1935
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 48.8 meters (160 feet)

External Links:


1871: Tanarmouth

Glen Tanar, Aboyne vicinity, Scotland, United Kingdom - Water of Tanar
Bridgemeister ID:7972 (added 2023-11-26)
Year Completed:1871
Name:Tanarmouth
Location:Glen Tanar, Aboyne vicinity, Scotland, United Kingdom
Crossing:Water of Tanar
Coordinates:57.066833 N 2.805167 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Harper & Co.
Use:Footbridge
Status:Removed, 1950
Main Cables:Wire
Main Span:1 x 30.5 meters (100 feet)

External Links:


1871: Tarassac

St. Martin-de-l'Arcon vicinity, Hérault, France - Orb River
Bridgemeister ID:2308 (added 2007-04-30)
Year Completed:1871
Name:Tarassac
Location:St. Martin-de-l'Arcon vicinity, Hérault, France
Crossing:Orb River
Coordinates:43.564251 N 2.974977 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Replaced
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1871: Warren

Warren, Pennsylvania, USA - Allegheny River
Bridgemeister ID:75 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1871
Name:Warren
Also Known As:Hickory Street
Location:Warren, Pennsylvania, USA
Crossing:Allegheny River
Principals:George W. Fishler
References:AAJ, EOV, HAERPA461, HBE, PTS2
Use:Vehicular, with walkway
Status:Replaced, 1918
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 143.3 meters (470 feet)
Deck width:29 feet

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg Stereoview, collection of David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1872: Barrett

Port Jervis, New York and Matamoras, Pennsylvania, USA - Delaware River
Bridgemeister ID:76 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1872
Name:Barrett
Location:Port Jervis, New York and Matamoras, Pennsylvania, USA
Crossing:Delaware River
References:BDR
Use:Vehicular
Status:Destroyed, October 11, 1903
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:2
Main Spans:2

Notes:

  • BDR: Destroyed by ice March 17, 1875, rebuilt, destroyed by flood October 11, 1903.
Stereoview, collection of David Denenberg Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

1872: Branch Hill

Branch Hill and Symmes, Ohio, USA - Little Miami River
Bridgemeister ID:77 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1872
Name:Branch Hill
Location:Branch Hill and Symmes, Ohio, USA
Crossing:Little Miami River
Principals:John Gray
References:EOV
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire

Notes:

  • Based on correspondence between "Gray's firm" and Washington Roebling, EOV suggests there may be a chance this early bridge contained steel cables.

1872: Chemung

Chemung, New York, USA - Chemung River
Bridgemeister ID:78 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1872
Name:Chemung
Location:Chemung, New York, USA
Crossing:Chemung River
Principals:J.V. Fishler, J.R. Crowell
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (iron)

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

1872: Dryburgh Abbey

Dryburgh and St. Boswells, Scotland, United Kingdom - River Tweed
Bridgemeister ID:1439 (added 2004-07-31)
Year Completed:1872
Name:Dryburgh Abbey
Location:Dryburgh and St. Boswells, Scotland, United Kingdom
Crossing:River Tweed
Coordinates:55.580771 N 2.654251 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Footbridge
Status:Replaced, 1911
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1872: Fulsom Landing

Riparius, New York, USA - Hudson River
Bridgemeister ID:330 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1872
Name:Fulsom Landing
Also Known As:Riverside, Folsom Landing, Riparius
Location:Riparius, New York, USA
Crossing:Hudson River
Coordinates:43.661963 N 73.898194 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1

Notes:

  • The location of this bridge was originally known as "Folsom Landing" and later became known as "Riverside." In 1886 the name was changed to "Riparius" to avoid confusion with another New York "Riverside" location. The suspension bridge is sometimes referenced by each of these names. To make matters even more confusing, the bridge was known as the "Fulsom Landing" bridge (instead of Folsom).
  • Removed at some point after 1919.
  • Near 1871 (suspension bridge) - Washburn's Eddy, New York, USA.
Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

1872: Gilead

Gilead, Maine, USA - Androscoggin River
Bridgemeister ID:2157 (added 2006-12-10)
Year Completed:1872
Name:Gilead
Location:Gilead, Maine, USA
Crossing:Androscoggin River
Use:Vehicular
Status:Replaced, 1923
Main Cables:Wire
Main Span:1 x 58.5 meters (192 feet)

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

1872: Lower

Turners Falls, Montague, Massachusetts, USA - Connecticut River
Bridgemeister ID:340 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1872
Name:Lower
Also Known As:White
Location:Turners Falls, Montague, Massachusetts, USA
Crossing:Connecticut River
Coordinates:42.609165 N 72.561433 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
References:CCR, PTS2
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed, circa 1936
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

1872: Ravenscraig

Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom - Caledonian Railway
Bridgemeister ID:5078 (added 2020-08-30)
Year Completed:1872
Name:Ravenscraig
Location:Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
Crossing:Caledonian Railway
Coordinates:56.468350 N 2.901061 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Harper & Co.
References:HARPER
Use:Footbridge
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 16.8 meters (55.1 feet)

Notes:

  • Coordinates are approximate location of the bridge based on the description in HARPER noting the bridge crossed the railway at the estate of a Colonel Sandeman at Ravenscraig which is the location of the present day (2020) Ravenscraig Gardens in Dundee.

External Links:


1872: Trinity Cemetery

New York, New York, USA - Broadway
Bridgemeister ID:79 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1872
Name:Trinity Cemetery
Location:New York, New York, USA
Crossing:Broadway
Principals:Calvert Vaux
References:CVA
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • Connected Trinity Cemetery across Broadway. Demolished 1911. Appears to have been wide enough to handle vehicles.
  • Eric K. Washington contacted me in 2011 wondering if the Trinity Cemetery bridge was the first suspension bridge constructed in New York City. While it seems unlikely that New York City (even just Manhattan) did not have, at least, other minor suspension bridges constructed before 1872, I have never encountered mention of one.

1873: Boatford

Langholm, Borders, Scotland, United Kingdom - River Esk
Bridgemeister ID:534 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1873
Name:Boatford
Location:Langholm, Borders, Scotland, United Kingdom
Crossing:River Esk
Coordinates:55.15098 N 3.00273 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
References:AAJ
Use:Footbridge
Status:In use (last checked: 2004)
Main Span:1 x 53.3 meters (175 feet)

Notes:

Photo by Dave Cooper

1873: Franklin

Franklin, Ohio, USA - Great Miami River
Bridgemeister ID:80 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1873
Name:Franklin
Location:Franklin, Ohio, USA
Crossing:Great Miami River
Principals:J. W. Shipman & Co., John A. Roebling's Sons Co.
References:EOV, HWCO
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Replaced, 1933
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • Traffic restricted to foot traffic, 1931. Closed, 1933, after the bridge sagged significantly.
  • From HWCO: "The towers are thirty-eight feet high, and each consists of four columns, of Phoenix column iron. The cables are of steel wire and each is composed of 343 strands, the whole cable having a diameter of seven inches. The masonry is constructed of Dayton stone, and is of a very substantial character... The wire and iron work was done in the summer of 1873 under the superintendence of Roebling & Sons, of Trenton, N. J. The bridge is stayed by strong wire cables and stiffened by an iron truss. The whole cost was $43,900."
Postcard, collection of David Denenberg.

1873: Harrison

Harrison, Ohio and Dearborn County, Indiana, USA - Whitewater River
Bridgemeister ID:81 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1873
Name:Harrison
Location:Harrison, Ohio and Dearborn County, Indiana, USA
Crossing:Whitewater River
Principals:James W. Shipman and Co.
References:EOV
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Destroyed, 1913, by flood
Main Cables:Wire

Notes:

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

Bridgemeister ID:353 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1873
Name:South Street
Also Known As:Wire
Location:Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA
Crossing:Lehigh Valley Railroad and North Branch Canal
Coordinates:41.239328 N 75.884643 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed, c. 1925
Main Cables:Wire

Notes:

  • In use until 1910, possibly longer. Replacement opened 1925.
Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

1874: (suspension bridge)

Bannockburn, New Zealand - Kawarau River
Bridgemeister ID:660 (added 2003-03-08)
Year Completed:1874
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:Bannockburn, New Zealand
Crossing:Kawarau River
References:GAP
Status:Replaced

Notes:


1874: Canet

Canet and Le Pouget, Hérault, France - Hérault River
Bridgemeister ID:7491 (added 2022-12-30)
Year Completed:1874
Name:Canet
Location:Canet and Le Pouget, Hérault, France
Crossing:Hérault River
Coordinates:43.597444 N 3.493061 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular
Status:Replaced
Main Cables:Wire (iron)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1874: Châtel-de-Neuvre

Châtel-de-Neuvre and La Ferté-Hauterive, Allier, France - Allier River
Bridgemeister ID:4905 (added 2020-07-18)
Year Completed:1874
Name:Châtel-de-Neuvre
Location:Châtel-de-Neuvre and La Ferté-Hauterive, Allier, France
Crossing:Allier River
Coordinates:46.402296 N 3.317844 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
References:AAJ
Use:Vehicular
Status:Replaced, 1923
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:2
Main Spans:2

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1874: Huitong

Longling, Yunnan, China - Nujiang
Bridgemeister ID:1232 (added 2004-02-15)
Year Completed:1874
Name:Huitong
Location:Longling, Yunnan, China
Crossing:Nujiang
Coordinates:24.734810 N 98.966987 E
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
References:BCG, BYU
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Closed, 1971 (last checked: 2019)
Main Cables:Chain (iron)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 94.3 meters (309.4 feet)

Notes:

  • Originally built with iron chains, modified to steel wire cables, 1935.


Do you have any information or photos for these bridges that you would like to share? Please email david.denenberg@bridgemeister.com.


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