Little Muddy Creek Bridge
Description
Spoke with Rex of Rees Fruit Farm, he said his father bought the property in the late 1940s, then in the late 1950s the state was building up Highway 24 through the area and cut off the south end of the property for new 24 to run through, and created a more flowing Little Muddy Creek where before it was more of a bog right where the construction was going to take place, in exchange for all the trouble the state told the property owners that if they could locate a local bridge in the area that was being taken out, they would have it installed on the property to go over the Creek so they could access their orchards, Shortly after a bridge of now-forgotten close-proximity was located and brought to the site and installed by the state running parallel to new highway 24 just a few dozen yards away on the north side. Neat old thing with outriggers, still used heavily by the Farm employees, brand new oak decking milled and installed 2018.Facts
- Overview
- Pratt through truss bridge over Little Muddy Creek on Rees Fruit Farm orchard road
- Location
- Shawnee County, Kansas, and Jefferson County, Kansas
- Status
- Open to authorized vehicles only, solid, new oak decking 2018
- History
- Original old bridge was gifted and moved to Farm from nearby community in 1958
- Design
- Pratt pony truss with outriggers
- Dimensions
-
Span length: 40.0 ft.
Total length: 40.0 ft.
Deck width: 12.0 ft.
- Also called
- Rees Fruit Farm Bridge
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +39.09061, -95.59400 (decimal degrees)
39°05'26" N, 95°35'38" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/275651/4330035 (zone/easting/northing)
- Land survey
- T. 11 S., R. 16 E., Sec. 13
- Inventory number
- BH 84409 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Sources
- Nick Schmiedeler - nick [at] nickschmiedeler [dot] com
Comments
To me it looks like something that the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Works would have built - especially given the use of cruciform outriggers.
That being said, P.E. Lane did build a fairly large number of bridges in Kansas many of which exhibited a diverse array of features.
I am hoping that more of his works will surface. I am a fan of his bridges!
It looks like P.E. Lane built several ponies in this county prior to 1889... Wonder if this could be one of those.
Great!! Also looking at LOST and REPLACED listings on the chance that the source location may be I.D.ed, another bit of info I know the Rees family would live to figure out... bit tough considering bridge relocated 60 years ago
I would say that 1880s or early 1890s is a safe bet. I suspect that the latest does bridge could have been built would be Circa 1895.
Cruciform Outriggers are often associated with the 1870s but the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company seemed to use them long after they fell out of favor. Thus, this bridge could very possibly have been built in the 1880s. I am reasonably confident that it was probably built by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Works but I cannot say that for certain.
Great, thanks for input - Rex Rees was excited to hear the input on this old thing that's been on their property 60 years now (so...60 years of it's most-likely 130 year existence)
With the cruciform outriggers I'd say 1880's.
Built c. 1890's ?
I think that one of the Outriggers might have been replaced at some point.
This bridge is a great discovery and has a great story! It also has cruciform outriggers!
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/ks/shawnee/little-muddy-creek/
Note the rolled verticals in addition to the outriggers.