McKee Creek Bridge
Photo taken by Chris Gonnerman in March 2012
License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike (CC BY-SA)
BH Photo #228886
Buskirk Ford Bridge is a through truss bridge over McKee Creek in Adams County Illinois built in 1885 and is still open to one lane through traffic of less than 4 tons.
From my research I found the following history about the bridge and I took the photos on November 8th 2018. Please see more photos in the comments.
A special committee visited the proposed location at Buskirk Ford for the new bridge and estimated the cost in the Spring of 1885 and reported as follows: We find the necessity for the bridge urgent and the location satisfactory. We made careful soundings and found the foundation all that could be desired at a depth of three feet from the surface. - The Quincy Whig.
May 1885 Estimates
Number cubic yards masonry 238...…….$1000.00
Length of span 74 feet to sustain a moving weight of 1200 pounds per lineal foot, 14 foot roadway...……………...1200.00
Total Estimated Cost...……………………$2200.00
June 1885 the following advertisement appeared in the Quincy Daily Whig:
Notice To Stone Masons!
Sealed proposals will be received at the office of Peter Smith, County Engineer for Masonry for abutments and wing walls for a bridge across McKee's Creek at Buskirk Ford in the county of Adams and State of Illinois until 12 o'clock Monday.
The committee contracted with Messrs J Busch & Co of Quincy Illinois for masonry at $5.95 per cubic yard and with the Morse Bridge Company of Youngstown, Ohio, for the superstructure at $10.85 per lineal foot, the total cost being as follows:
Masonry...………….$1409.87 Superstructure...……..707.43 Total...………………$2200.00
October 1885... Solomon Belmeyer, John H Yeldell and F W Kestner, the committee of the board of supervisors on the Buskirk Ford Bridge, report that the work done by Messrs Gottilieb H Busch & Co was first class in every respect and the best bridge work ever put up in Adams County and they also wish to return thanks to August Lange, foreman for the firm, who worked day and night to get the work done on time and in a satisfactory manner. - The Quincy Daily Herald.
December 1885.....The committee reported... this bridge is a very substantial wrought iron structure, 73 1/2 feet span, and that the same is now completed and paid for. - The Quincy Whig.
September 1893 - A special committee met to examine the Buskirk Ford Bridge, which had been washed away from its abutments by a flood the previous Spring. It was reported that the cost to repair the bridge would be $800 to make it fit for travel and it was recommended that the amount be appropriated for the bridge repair.- The Quincy Daily Herald.
The work was reported finished in December 1893, and the bill of $650 was allowed. - The Quincy Daily Whig.
FINALLY! getting around to posting some pics from 2.5 years ago following the massive storm that hit West Central Illinois. I showed up at work that day and was told to go home w/ power pretty minimal in Quincy, IL. So, I decided I'd go bridge hunting and headed towards western Adams County and Brown County. Very productive hunt July 14th, 2017.