Springfield Bridge

Faulkner County had a big tornado two years ago, damage to their roads from oil & gas play, and now the Mayflower oil spill. Perhapsvexxon will fund a bridge park!!!!!

Just spoke with the newly appointed judge down there who has a couple years and a desire to see this one restored.

We love this bridge.

visited in march of 2013. deck is disappearing fast and some kids have taken to it with some spray paint. still gorgeous.

We were able to visit the Springfield Bridge July 30, 2011 and I was blown away by it's beauty! I was so saddened that it had just been left to rot away until I read everyone's posts on here that said it was going to be preserved! Super excited about that! It's a gorgeous piece of history!! Since finding this bridge, we have begun a little "bridge hunt". It's so interesting to see things built from way back when. Would love to share some pictures that I took at the Springfield Bridge and will continue sharing as we visit more. :)

County got tornadoes but the Judge is still working on the project. WE've given them the base estimate, and the engineering will have to be very creative on this one. Glad to know it is still standing.

I incorporated your photograph Fred

Visited the Springfield Bridge on 6 June 2011 at 1 pm. The original access road is barely discernible. Bridge timbers are in maximum decayed condition - unsafe. West bank abutment stonework needs stabilization. Glad to read that Workin' Bridges is preparing to commence rehab work in the near future. It was obvious by the mud line that Cadron Creek had been up to the bridge deck level recently. Mosquito's were numerous and vicious. Will be attaching one photo taken from the east bank approach (side that once held the plaque). Observed a dumped recliner chair in the water on the downstream side of the bridge.

Webmaster's note: The photo that was here has been incorporated into the main site.

Visited the Springfield Bridge on 6 June 2011 at 1 pm. The original access road is barely discernible. Bridge timbers are in maximum decayed condition - unsafe. West bank abutment stonework needs stabilization. Glad to read that Workin' Bridges is preparing to commence rehab work in the near future. It was obvious by the mud line that Cadron Creek had been up to the bridge deck level recently. Mosquito's were numerous and vicious. Will be attaching one photo taken from the east bank approach (side that once held the plaque). Observed a dumped recliner chair in the water on the downstream side of the bridge.

According to the Log Cabin Democrat (Conway, Arkansas) the bridge was repaired in 1934: the deck was replaced and approaches repaired.

http://thecabin.net/stories/060209/loc_0602090007.shtml

Yes it is indeed great news that the county has chosen to retain this important span as a piece of local history. I don't think without intervention it will last too much longer.

Oh man that's great news. Weird that I randomly found this bridge just like 2 weeks ago and thought it was pretty much doomed and then a few days later people are going out there to restore it. You don't hear very much good news ever for bridge preservation.

Workin' Bridges is doing the plan for the restoration and rehabilitation of this bridge after a visit on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The county plans to keep it as a destination park. It needs a lot of work but we are up to a rehab in place that will fix the piers and the parts that have been worked on in the past, plus redecking.

The craftsman's record shows that this early bow had the floor beams above the eyebars, which is different than the McIntrye's design. Pretty cool to be able to document the record.

Webmaster's note: The photo that was here has been incorporated into the main site.

This is awesome news to hear Julie!....As it sounds as if the bridge won't last much longer without intervention.

From all the pictures I have seen this is a beautiful area if it is feasible to restore the span on site. But judging by the flooding; bank erosion and condition of the abutments, it might be better to move it to a park or trail.

Of course it has been able to stand where it is for some 137 years!

The county has just hired Workin' Bridges to do the site analysis and get them going on how to save this bridge. We will be down there this week. Thanks for the up to date pictures.

This bridge is incredible, its a shame it probably wont last much longer. Just was there a couple days ago and the bank is sure inching closer and closer to the stone pilings :( But as for now, its still there but just barely.

i read on the internet while researching that when they bypasses this bridge they were supposed to rehabilitate it and build a park around it... what happened to that? :( that would save a beautiful peice of our history from sitting there and rotting

just wondering does anyone know what year this bridge was closed to traffic? was it before it was bypassed or what?

last picture i will post... i promise...

and this is what she looks like with all the brush cleared off...

We just recenty had a similar experience. We went to Cedartown, GA to photograph an old pony truss I found while looking at Google Earth. The bridge is on a road that there is nothing else on except an abandoned farmhouse. I noticed on the way in that people had been dumping old tires, constuction waste, and other stuff. Being the prowler that I am, I decided to look through the "treasures" on the way back out. While looking around I heard a weak "Meow", looked down and there was 2 kittens that someone had dumped. This was a cold day (30's), the kitens were half starved, so needless to say, our bridge hunting was over for the day and we have 2 new additions to our family.

To all concerned: Last Thanksgiving (2009), my wife and I visited this old bridge. Since it's 8 miles from our house, we go there and have picnics sometimes. On Thanksgiving Day, we found an abandond German Shephard puppy someone had dumped. The puppy was very hungry living under the old bridge. We gave him our lunch as he needed it worse than we did.

Friday, we returned to rescue this puppy and find him a good home. He had such a nice personality. When we arrived at the bridge, we found the puppy dead. Someone had shot him in the head probably Friday morning sometime.

We buried the puppy under the 1874 old bridge he called his home. Then, we decided to clean up this old bridge and dedicate it to the puppy who called it his home.

After December 2009, those visiting the bridge will find the weeds and saplings removed. We swept the bridge off pretty nicely. We are planning to add back some of the wood planks as well as maybe even paint this bridge.

This is Arkansas's oldest still standing bridge. If anyone would like to help us keep this bridge for prosperity, this would be very nice. You can contact me at arkansas_john2000@yahoo.com.

I was able to see this bridge about a week ago. I have to say that the bridge is impressive for such old age. For those that have driven over this bridge in years past and others that have been long forgotten....at least you have that memory.

Many young people today will never have that experience. In fact, many of those will probably never even care about old bridges. What a shame.....

Great Bridge though.....reminds me of better times and a world that use to turn much slower.

I grew up on the Cadron and in the house before you get to the bridge on Springfield side. My family still lives in the area. It is so nice to the photos....bitter sweet i suppose. I would go for walks to the bridge with my mom, dad, and sister many times. Many memories and stories from my Dad about growing up there have been shared about when he was a little boy and older. I was reading the various comments below. Vampire bridge? lol how interesting...i never had heard that before. Thanks for taking wonderful photos!!!

sept vs nov 2009

was able to get to the bridge today. not as bad as i thought. some decking is gone. a huge section of the bank has collapsed. i did not cross under as the remain part had some cracking ans looked like it could go too.

We are having tremendous flooding along the cadron creek and Oct 1 09 I took pictures of the bridge again.

The creek bank is washing away, it was only about 15 feet from reaching the foundation rocks on the eat side of the bridge.

If I had to guess, and it keep raining we will loose this Historic bridge in the next year or less.

When the water drops again I'll get fresh pictures.

I've been going out here for years. My friends and I call it the Vampire Bridge. we've heard all sorts of stories about it. who knows what is real and what is false though.

Right before you get to bono there is an old abandoned house on the left. Its falling apart and looks like somthing that needs to be tore down... anyone have any info on that house?

was in the area and decided to visit the bridge again.

saw this bridge for the 1st time 7.8.09. i was amazed at how good of shape it is in. it is literally in the middle of the woods. there is no road to get to it. you can barely see it from the new bridge.

Can anyone tell me how I would get to the Springfield Bridge from the Bentonville area? I am new to the area and am unfamiliar with how to get to this location. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

Ali

I grew up in Mobile, AL, but my grandmother lived in Springfield. We would visit her every summer when I was a kid. My first request when we got there was to go drive over the "cattern bottom bridge" (I never knew it was spelled "Cadron" until I was an adult). At that time, you could drive over it. And we did - it was a shortcut to Aunt Weleetka's house in Greenbriar. I've actually been swimming in the Cadron Creek near the bridge, in spite of the water moccasins (and I've seen some huge ones there!).

I'm really glad the bridge is still standing. It brings back some fond memories of my childhood. Thanks for sharing this.

wat would I pick for the strongest bridge out of Truss or Arc bridge and why?

I'm amazed to see photos of this bridge on the internet! I rode over it in uncle's old truck, walked over it on foot while hunting, and fished from it during summers back in the '50s. Didn't know it was still there.

I attended the University of Central Arkansas in Conway from the spring of 1975 through the spring of 1978. During that time I must have driven on every gravel road in Faulkner County - there couldn't have been many I missed. Chances are that I crossed this bridge at some point but I don't know for sure. Then during the early 1990s, I visited an old college buddy who was living in Conway, and we went driving up that way. We saw the old Springfield Bridge as we approached the modern bridge that replaced it. We stopped and walked out on the old bridge, neither of us aware that it was the oldest bridge still standing in Arkansas (as I understand it), having been built in 1874, etc. I found out about its history in late 2005 or early 2006, so my brother and I drove up to the bridge on April 1, 2006. Yeah, it was April Fool's Day, but never mind that. I took some photos, but none that show anything you haven't already seen on this website, with two exceptions. Attached are two photos of a Black Rat Snake that was at least temporarily making itself at home on the bridge.

Living in this area, I have visited this bridge numerous times and am still awed by it. Even in it's deteriorated condition, it is still unique and beautiful, and worth making the trip to visit. For me, my ancestors lived in Springfield in the mid 1800's, and to think they traveled across this bridge often makes it even more special for me. As the oldest bridge in Arkansas, I wish someone could preserve it a little before it completely rots and falls into the Creek. I've also seen where other towns have relocated old bridges to parks and restored it in order to preserve the history of it. Either way, maybe someone can help this one before it's too late.

Visted this bridge on 7 Nov. 2006 at 2:00 pm. I had visited this bridge about 15 years ago and it has deteriorated considerably. The old road bed has been blocked and is overgrown on the east side. A large section of deck planks are missing from the west side. One 10 or 12 ft. plank has been relocted to be able to walk across "CAREFULLY". Leaf litter accumulation was considerable and has accelerated decay. It is still worth seeing and studying. It cannot be seen from the county road except during "leaf off". Not visible from replacement bridge 200 yds. upstream.

Webmaster's note: The photos that were here have been incorporated into the main site.

My husband and I were curious to see this bridge in person. We were not familiar with the area, but we found the easiest way to get to this bridge is to travel North on Hwy 25 out of Conway to 285 North to Bono. Turn left (west) onto Springfield Road; travel approx 1.5 miles. Just before the new concrete bridge look to the left (south) for a small dirt road. The old bridge cannot be seen from the new bridge. The historical marker that was placed on a large boulder is gone. Someone has cut out the remaining boards on the south end of the bridge so it is not easy to completely walk the bridge. This is a wonderful old bridge, full of character and was built with large timbers, iron, nuts and bolts to last. I hope someone will replace the plaque or erect some kind of info about this bridge at the site...maybe even replace the missing boards so it will be at least foot traffic passable. Thanks for this website! We plan to visit many more bridges!

close to 20 years ago a local organization here in the Conway area put out a calender featuring this bridge. here in faulkner county, it is known as the "Springfield/Des Arc" bridge. the reason for that according to the caption on the calender is that this bridge lay on a prominent trade route. the road this bowstring was on connected Springfield and Conway county area to a major river port on the White river farther east at Des Arc in Prairie county.