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Hardin City Bridge

Hardin County, Iowa
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Photos 

Elevation From South

Photo by Joe Elliott, Summer 1995, for HAER

View photos at Library of Congress

Map 

Facts 

Overview
Relocated through truss bridge northwest of Steamboat Rock
Location
Hardin County, Iowa
Status
Relocated to a wildlife refuge just off the street. Bridge is derelict but may be relocated to a park or bike trail in the future
Future prospects
Rumors have encircled that the bridge may be relocated to either a park or bike trail for according to IaDOT, a couple suitors have expressed interest in reusing the bridge although it has not been confirmed if the project will go forward at this time.
History
Built 1879; relocated 1989 to a location one mile from its original location
Builder
- Western Bridge Works of Fort Wayne, Indiana (Fabricator & Erector)
Design
"Configured as a pin-connected Whipple (or double-intersection Pratt) through truss, the Hardin City Bridge is one of only eight such structures remaining in Iowa. It is the only bridge in Iowa by the short-lived Western Bridge Works, Fort Wayne, Indiana. With its Whipple web configuration, cast-iron hip blocks and bearing shoes, and rolled wrought-iron components, the Hardin City Bridge typifies wagon bridge construction of the late 1870s.

"In April of 1879 the suprevisors awarded the contract to Western Bridge Works of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Using cast-iron joint blocks and wrought-iron structural sections produced by the Passaic Rolling Mills of Peterson, New Jersey, and the Pottsville (Pennsylvania) Rolling Mills, Western Bridge completed its erection of the 140' pin-connected truss late that year at a cost of $3145.38.

"This document was prepared as part of the Iowa Historic Bridges Recording Project performed durng the Summer of 1995 by the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER). The project was sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation. (IDOT). Preliminary research on this bridge was performed by Clayton B. Fraser of Fraserdesign, Loveland, CO."

Historian: Leslie Pitner, August 1995
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Dimensions
Span length: 140.0 ft.
Total length: 140.0 ft.
Deck width: 16.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+42.44872, -93.10937   (decimal degrees)
42°26'55" N, 93°06'34" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/491006/4699604 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Steamboat Rock
Inventory number
BH 37388 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (6,115)
Available for reuse (225)
Built 1879 (71)
Built during 1870s (888)
Cast iron (62)
HAER documented (1,096)
Hardin County, Iowa (72)
Iowa (5,724)
Open to pedestrians (3,489)
Owned by county (18,712)
 Pin-connected (3,024)
Relocated (607)
Skewed (4,659)
Span length 125-175 feet (3,727)
Through truss (12,791)
Total length 125-175 feet (5,167)
Truss (29,277)
Western Bridge Works (6)
Whipple truss (262)
Wrought Iron (361)

Update Log 

  • June 2, 2015: New photos from Kevin Skow
  • August 27, 2012: Updated by Luke Harden: Added IRON fabricator to builder's section
  • August 27, 2012: Updated by Don Morrison: moved map pin to position of bridge
  • September 8, 2011: Updated by Jason Smith: Bridge is located off of 170th Street at a wildlife refuge. Plans are to relocate the bridge although they are not etched in stone as of this entry.
  • May 27, 2011: Updated by Tony Dillon: Added new info
  • September 9, 2008: Added by J.R. Manning

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