That’s right, another boring post about a bridge!

I had heard rumblings about an “old military bridge” about town here in Kansas, but no one seemed to know for sure just where it was, or anything else about it, but people kept suggesting that I look for it, thinking it might be of interest to me; it was.

Recently an article surfaced in the paper, which briefly discussed the history of the bridge, local legends, and the truth behind its age and original purpose. The article offered no directions to the bridge (not surprisingly), but did offer a tantalizing black and white photograph of an old overgrown iron bridge. After some more asking around I found an older woman who remembered herding cattle across the bridge as a girl, and as luck would have it she was able to give precise directions to the bridge, which turned out to be completely accurate.

Of course, the bridge as it stands today is located in the middle of a forest, but a dead-end road leads one as close as can be expected. I was really surprised by how big it was when I finally got there. The bridge sits high in the treetops over the Marmaton River. It’s held aloft by one large, off-center stone pillar (similar to the ones at Stockton Lake), standing about 30-40 feet. It’s no larger than most modern bridges, but I expected it to be smaller, due to its age.

The so-called “Old Military Bridge” is thought by many to have been constructed by the army during the Civil War, but in actuality it was built soon afterward in the 1870’s, so that farmers could move their herds more easily across the river.

The second thing I noticed, aside from its size, was how its construction and design differed from modern-day bridges. Rather than large, thick girders, the bridge was made up of thin strips of iron, all bolted together. If I were to guess I’d say it was probably just easier to cast thin sheets of metal back then. Besides, it’s not like it ever had to support the weight of an 18-wheeler.

The Old Military Bridge was still in use until about 30 years ago, when a fire destroyed the wooden portions of the bridge. Today only a few moss-covered planks remain. There’s talk of replacing the wood and turning it into a pedestrian foot bridge. The problem is there’s no trail for it to link up to at the moment. Here’s hoping they can either restore it to a point that everyone can enjoy it, or just leave it alone.