COMMERCE STREET VIADUCT HAER No. TX-35 Texas Historic Bridges Recording Project Spanning Trinity River at Commerce Street
"Alexander and Sarah Cockrell in 1852 purchase property from John Neely Bryan and the concession to operate a ferry across the Trinity River. The Cockrells erected a covered bridge over the river and built a steam sawmill. A newspaper advertisement in 24-Feb-1855, two months after the bridge opened, states the 620 length and confirms it was covered. Sarah Cockrell finished the construction of a hotel after her husband’s death. Subsequently, bridges were built at two other locations. One, known as the “long wooden” bridge was located near present Cadiz Street. The second, on Zang Boulevard turnpike, was located just west of the present Houston Street Viaduct. The design of these early bridges was such that moderate flooding, either submerged the bridges or their approaches. The bridge was probably close to where the Ferry had been, ~Commerce Street." Sources: https://www.lostbridges.org/details.aspx?id=TX/43-57-01x Clark, Todd. Information received by email, June 2011 http://redwhiteandyaz.com/living-bridge-lee-ann-torrans/ University of North Texas, Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu/permalink/meta-pth-3360