Supple Ford Bridge

Photos

IA-32-1

Photo by John N. Vogel, photographer, September 1990, for HAER

View photos at Library of Congress

BH Photo #123455

Map

Map Links

Facts

Overview

Lost Bowstring through truss bridge over South Fork Maquoketa River on Temple Hill Road in Clay Township

Location

Clay Township, Jones County, Iowa

Status

Replaced by new bridge

History

Built 1875; Washed away 1947 but hauled back and reset; Replaced 1991

Builder

- King Bridge Co. of Cleveland, Ohio

Design

Bowstring Truss

"The Jones County bowstring arch-truss bridge is a virtually intact example of a once-common technology in bridge design in Iowa, the bowstring bridge designed by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio. In 1980, this bridge was described as one of only approximately 28 remaining bowstring bridges in Iowa and one of four remaining bowstring bridges in Jones County. It was erected in 1875 and is the second oldest surviving iron truss bridge in Jones County and the oldest remaining bridge built by the King Iron Bridge Company in the county today."

Historians: Norene Roberts, PhD., Historical Research, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota
John N. Vogel, PhD.,Consulting Historian, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

September 26, 1990
`

Dimensions

Span length: 100.4 ft.
Total length: 100.4 ft.
Deck width: 15.4 ft.

Approximate latitude, longitude

+42.18611, -90.98333 (decimal degrees)
42°11'10" N, 90°58'60" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")

Approximate UTM coordinates

15/666531/4672408 (zone/easting/northing)

Quadrangle map:

Canton

Inventory number

BH 37393 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Update Log

September 24, 2014: Updated by Tony Dillon: Changed from pony to through truss
September 9, 2008: Added by J.R. Manning

Sources

J.R. Manning - thekitchenguy [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
HAER IA-32 - Supple Ford Bridge
Tony Dillon - spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com