MORE HISTORY PASSED BY – TILL NOW
By Jim Foster
In a time before seat belts I can remember lying on the rear window ledge of my parents Chevy watching the scenery and the highway lines fly by behind the auto, which I believe was a 1951 Chevrolet. Of course my brother and I didn’t wear helmets while riding our bikes either.
We would make the drive between Houston and Waco quite often to visit relatives – my aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course our grandmother. The trip usually would include a stop in the rural town of Riesel on Texas Highway 6 where an aunt and two uncles lived. During this visit, and to the chagrin of our mother we would climb around in the old barn, get dirty, and usually step in something the cattle left.
However in our eagerness to play and explore new areas we failed to notice the old bridge across the Brazos River just north of downtown Waco. A bridge with lots of history - the Waco Suspension Bridge.
One morning a few weeks ago while visiting Waco I ventured out to see the bridge and see what I had missed all these years. I was both impressed and very glad I took the time. It was a foggy morning along the river.
The Waco Suspension Bridge is a single-span suspension bridge with a main span of 475 feet (145 m). Opening in 1869, it contains nearly 3 million bricks.
Before 1869, crossing the Brazos River was a time-consuming and sometimes dangerous ordeal. The only way to cross the river was via ferry, and due to the location of Waco on the growing Chisholm Trail, local businessmen knew that a bridge was needed.
A charter was received from the state in 1866, with John A. Roebling and Son chosen to design and build the bridge with the construction supervised by Thomas M. Griffith.
It is known today that the experience and skills John A. Roebling learned building the Waco bridge helped him greatly when he built the famous the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.
However - there was a problem. The Waco area lacked the required machine shops and the nearest railroad was 100 miles (160 km) away, and the closest town with artisans with the skills needed was Galveston, over 212 miles from Waco. The machined goods were made and then transported by steamer from Galveston to Bryan.
Then they were loaded onto wagons pulled by oxen. This had to be a trip that tested the stamina of both men and animals. Remember these were roads of 1800s standards and had more potholes than smooth stretches, after all dirt roads are dirt roads even today.
The twin double-towers anchoring the bridge were considered to be a marvel of engineering at the time and contained nearly 3 million bricks. These bricks didn’t need the ox-teams because they were produced locally.
The first bridge toll was collected on January 1, 1870. The bridge was wide enough for stagecoaches to pass each other, or for cattle to cross one side of the bridge, and humans to cross the other side. Being the only bridge to cross the Brazos at the time, the cost of building the bridge, which was estimated to be $141,000, was quickly paid back. Tolls were 5 cents per head of cattle crossing, along with a charge for pedestrian traffic.
In 1889, the bridge was sold to McLennan County, which removed all tolls. In 1913-1914, major reconstruction occurred on the bridge, replacing the older steel with higher gauge, and trusses were added to accommodate the span to carry heavier weights. This doubled as a new pedestrian walkway.
By 1971, the bridge had seen over 100 years of traffic. What started out as a Cattle Bridge had become a vehicular bridge, and the state historical committee decided that it was time to be retired, with larger and arguably safer bridges being built since the inception of the Waco Suspension Bridge.
The bridge, by all accounts, helped to transform Waco from a small frontier town to a major commercial center. Today, the bridge is open to foot traffic only, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The area is a favorite for walkers and offers a green area near downtown.
If you are traveling on Interstate 35 either north or south take a moment and enjoy the history as you cross the Brazos on the old bridge. One warning, watch out for roosting pigeons.
If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com
