Rating:
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Holland's Ferry Bridge

Johnson County, Iowa, and Washington County, Iowa

Photos 

1909 Postcard

Public Domain: Published Prior to 1923

Enlarge

BH Photo #233830

Map 

Facts 

Overview
Lost Pratt through truss bridge over Iowa River on Road
Location
Johnson County, Iowa, and Washington County, Iowa
Status
Removed
History
Built 1900; Removed Novermber 1980
Builder
- New Castle Bridge Co. of New Castle, Indiana
Design
Pratt through truss
Also called
Holland Bridge
New Bridge (Name used on 1900 Huebinger Survey & Map Publishing Co. Map)
Maholics Hill Bridge
Mahollic Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+41.44161, -91.49245   (decimal degrees)
41°26'30" N, 91°29'33" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/625939/4588879 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Lone Tree
Inventory number
BH 52709 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Built 1900 (947)
Built during 1900s (7,625)
Iowa (6,789)
Iowa River (138)
Johnson County, Iowa (219)
Lally columns (345)
Lost (28,364)
Lost 1980 (108)
 Lost during 1980s (1,527)
New Castle Bridge Co. (7)
Pratt through truss (6,042)
Pratt truss (10,276)
Through truss (16,699)
Truss (35,365)
Washington County, Iowa (140)

Update Log 

  • December 15, 2019: New photo from Melissa Brand-Welch
  • December 15, 2019: Updated by Luke: Added alt name and loss date
  • March 28, 2016: Updated by Luke: Added builder
  • June 4, 2015: Updated by Luke: Added link to Engineering News-Record, Volume 42
  • July 5, 2013: Updated by Luke Harden: Added categories "Iowa River", "Lally columns"
  • July 2, 2013: Updated by Don Morrison: Added Washington County as bridge crossed the border. This should also fix the wrong county issue in the todo list.
  • July 3, 2012: Updated by Luke Harden: Edited map based on forum comment
  • July 2, 2012: Updated by Clark Vance: Added build date
  • July 1, 2012: Updated by Clark Vance: Added build date
  • June 24, 2012: Updated by Clark Vance: Location guess....
  • June 24, 2012: Added by Luke Harden

Sources 

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Comments 

Holland's Ferry Bridge
Posted December 15, 2019, by Luke

The bridge lasted until 1980, but didn't go out with the Holland's Ferry name:

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/542741786/

Holland's Ferry Bridge
Posted July 5, 2012, by Clark Vance (cvance [at] dogmail [dot] com)

More about Mr. Holland and the name of the owner of the adjacent property in 1902

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/MO-FOOTSTEPS/2...

Holland's Ferry Bridge
Posted July 3, 2012, by Clark Vance (cvance [at] dogmail [dot] com)

Looks pretty clear that Holland's ferry crossed here. Time to talk to some locals old enough to remember the area bridges. There are two to the north to account for. It would also be nice to find some physical evidence at the marked location. Saddle up, Luke!

Lots of fun from a picture post card.

Holland's Ferry Bridge
Posted July 3, 2012, by Don Morrison (bacchus [at] mchsi [dot] com)

Did some more digging. Found 1870 map/atlas of Johnson County with map of Fremont township. The land near the present Eden Farms Rd is shown as owned by C.M. Holland and Ferry is printed across the river at that point.

Here's a link:

http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/u?/atlases,250

Perhaps the state used Holland Bridge as the name and the county/ local people called it Holland's Ferry Bridge.

Holland's Ferry Bridge
Posted July 2, 2012, by Clark Vance (cvance [at] dogmail [dot] com)

Bing shows evidence of the former C,RI&P railroad crossing just downriver from what appears to be a caisson from the county highway marked in red on the 1914 map. Neither bridge remains but the two crossings can still be located. I'm guessing that since this was marked as a major route it was probably the location of the truss. Wish the Holl** text were clear but I don't see "and's Ferry" in the remaining blur.

Holland's Ferry Bridge
Posted July 1, 2012, by Don Morrison (bacchus [at] mchsi [dot] com)

Found old county maps here: http://historicalphotos.iowadot.gov/HistoricalPhotos_Home.as...

Attached a crop from the Johnson county map circa 1914. Shows what appears to say Holl... Bridge near the present Eden Farm rd SE, which might have connected to 150th st of Washington County.

Looks like someone will have to make a trip to see if the abutments still exist.

The map appears to have been signed by Anson Marston, ISU Engineering Dean and 1st Hwy commissioner as well.

looks like there may have been road and rail crossings up where the pin is now.

Holland's Ferry Bridge
Posted July 1, 2012, by Clark Vance (cvance [at] dogmail [dot] com)

From the August 8, 1900 edition of the cedar Rapids Evening Gazette (http://newspaperarchive.com/cedar-rapids-evening-gazette/1900-08-08/page-2)

"The board of supervisors of Johnson county went to inspect the new Holland's ferry bridge yesterday."

Holland's Ferry Bridge
Posted June 24, 2012, by Clark Vance (cvance [at] dogmail [dot] com)

I moved the pin up a bit. North of the power line crossing there looks like a pier or something in the water with a road running off to the west.