North Sugar Creek Bridge

I figured it was probably lost. This was the only one of its kind in the state that I am aware of.

Assuming KHRI is correct in listing this in section 25, the bridge is gone. The 1936 county road map shows only two crossings in sec. 25, the road on the west section line and the road on the north section line. Both have modern bridges.

According to my dad, who's lived in Linn County all his life, there was an old 1-lane bridge over the creek on Trego Road, but it was replaced with an UCEB several years ago. However, he's not sure if the picture Robert found is of that particular bridge or not.

To pontifficate this further, there is a stretch of abandoned road (E 1800) which crossed Middle Creek instead of North Sugar Creek. It appears that a bridge was removed from here, but as we know, a truss bridge with the deck removed is hard to see. The KSHS photo appears to show that the bridge recieved almost no traffic which gives me some hope that it might not have been on Trego Road.

Middle Creek and North Sugar Creek are very close together, so I could see them getting confused, particularly if the people surveying the bridge were not familiar with the area. It is a long shot, but perhaps something to check out when I get back to Kansas.

I sure hope so. I am glad that you like my joke about Elvis Bridges.

My fellow pontist Ruth Reynolds just discovered a very significant Pratt truss in Fort Scott, Kansas. Thus, a new bridge listing will appear for Bourbon County shortly.

I suspect you are right Robert. If it was on the road just North of town (Trego Road), then it is definitely gone. I did notice a few dead end roads nearby as well......maybe Elvis is lurking in the shadows???

Reply to Anthony:

Boicourt is several miles away from the concrete bridge, so I have moved the balloon to Boicourt. There is a UCEB which I have crossed north of Boicourt. I suspect that the Massillon bridge was demolished and replaced by that UCEB. However, there is always a possibility that the bridge might be hidden in the trees on a disused road and inaccessible like many other Kansas bridges.

I have declared a few bridges lost only to have them re-appear, thus I am hesitant to defintively say that it is gone.

Robert, I used the map/satellite image for the lost concrete bridge over the same creek to look for this bridge. I didn't see any town of Boicourt, but did find an abandoned section of road that crosses the creek with what appears to be a small village (just a few buildings) to the North. Guess there is a slight chance that is the place and the bridge is hidden in the trees. Looking at the picture on your link, that is a wrought iron Massillon span from the early 1880's. Ohio still has a few of this style remaining, including a Whipple and a Pratt in Darke County. Here is what the abandoned Pratt over Greenville Creek looks like.

This bridge is probably lost. It was not considered eligible for the NRHP, which is quite surprising. At least somebody took a picture.

http://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?tab=details&in=107-0000-...