Iron Bridges of Shiawassee County

Michigan

Corunna's old iron bridge in early 1900's (replaced by two succeeding bridges)

Caledonia Township

In 1880, a flood washed away a wooden bridge at this site and by 1885, a new iron bridge was built at a cost of $1,800. It was built by the Mount Vernon Bridge Co. of Mount Vernon, Ohio and is one of only a few surviving in the U.S. It is 119 feet long and 15 feet wide, having a wooden floor and stone abutments.

The bridge is a single-span, pin-connected, Pratt through truss structure, displaying nine panels. The three-by-eight-inch wooden planks forming the deck are supported by six rows of six-inch I-beams and two rows of six-inch channels carried on sixteen-inch built-up metal floor beams. Rubble fieldstone abutments support the bridge. The structure is currently closed to highway traffic.

The Martin Road Bridge is one of the oldest metal through truss highway bridges in Michigan. The state's oldest surviving examples date from 1876 and fewer than a dozen such structures built prior to 1890 remain in the entire state.

The bridge is an excellent and a rare example of late nineteenth-century bridge building. It was listed on the National Register in 1991 and the State Register of Historic Sites in 1990.

Oakwood Ave. Bridge

Owosso

Used as a footbridge today, this could have originally been located on Washington St. or Main St. Built in 1876, it is probably the oldest of only three double-intersection Pratt (Whipple) trusses in Michigan. The wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio, the builder, was one of the most prolific metal truss bridge companies of the midwest during the nineteenth century, with numerous Michigan bridges to its credit. Along with another bridge of the same age, this is the oldest surviving example in Michigan of the work of the Wrought Iron Bridge Company.

Vernon, Michigan Bridge

Replaced circa 2000

Parshallburg Bridge

Located originally on the Shiawassee River at Ditch Rd. NOW DOWNTOWN CHESANING, MICHIGAN.

Picture taken 8-8-99 during the move to Chesaning.

The Parshallburg or Ditch Road Bridge is a single-span, Thacher metal through truss bridge. Engineers who have evaluated the structure's condition believe the metal is wrought and cast iron because of the structure's relatively good overall condition. The eight-panel structure has a length of 140 feet and an overall deck width of 17.8 feet. The bridge stands on extensive abutments of rubble fieldstone.

Each portal displays a cast-iron plaque containing the legend "WROUGHT IRON BRIDGE CO., BUILDERS, CANTON, OHIO."

It is the only Thacher truss highway bridge in Michigan and the older of only two known surviving examples of this truss type in the United States.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

West Haven or Six Mile Creek Bridge

Located in New Haven Twp., this bridge was built in 1896 and is the only known surviving example of metal truss bridges built in Michigan by the Morse Bridge Company of Youngstown, Ohio, one of many medium-sized truss bridge companies located in the midwest in the nineteenth century. It is notable for its distinctive portal and top lateral bracing.

Bridge over the Maple River just 1 mile west of downtown Elsie, Michigan.

Bridge Moving Day at Owosso

Circa 1894

The old Washington St. iron bridge was moved north on Washington St. This picture was taken at Main and Washington St. It was used again to bridge the Shiawassee River at Oliver St.

They appear to have waited until winter and used logs to roll it down the street. What a sight that must have been.

Below, looking north at the new Washington St. bridge circa 1894-85 in Owosso. This bridge was replaced in the 1950 - 60s. And again replaced in the 1990's.

In 1952, a new bridge was built at Oliver St. Below are pics of the dismantling of the old iron bridge and the new bridge. Photos by David Vaughn.

The 1952 bridge above was replaced in 2008.

More Iron Railroad Bridges

Shiawassee County History

Email: steveschmidt@hotmail.com