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Upper Free Bridge

Peoria County, Illinois, and Tazewell County, Illinois
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Upper Free Bridge

Photo taken by Mitch Segler

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Description 

1888 – The wood-floored Upper Free Bridge at the narrows. On February 27, 1943, the bridge was struck by the towboat, “Sylvia T.” It was repaired; but right before its reopening on May 17, 1944, the “Sylvia T.” struck the bridge again and put it out of business for good. The United States War Department ordered the removal of debris from the channel, but the city disclaimed ownership and the War Department ultimately removed the debris and the center pier in 1947. The pier on the west side remains in place today.

From the 1985 book Peoria! by Jerry Klein

Facts 

Overview
Lost bridge over the Illinois River at Peoria
Location
Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois, and Tazewell County, Illinois
Status
Demolished
History
Built 1888
Builders
- George F. Wightman (Design, City of Peoria architect)
- Joseph Petardi (Stone Cutter, cut stone for the bridge pilings)
Approximate latitude, longitude
+40.72430, -89.54880   (decimal degrees)
40°43'27" N, 89°32'56" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
16/284740/4511277 (zone/easting/northing)
USGS topographic map
Peoria East
Inventory number
BH 51938 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (3,821)
Built 1888 (103)
Built during 1880s (1,045)
George F. Wightman (1)
Illinois (2,499)
Joseph Petardi (1)
Lost (10,361)
 Lost 1943 (3)
Lost during 1940s (58)
Movable (1,355)
Peoria County, Illinois (53)
Peoria, Illinois (23)
Swing (534)
Tazewell County, Illinois (30)

Update Log 

  • April 3, 2012: Added by rob wagner

Sources 

  • rob wagner

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