Bridge offers unique look into history

by Carla Knapp
Pharos-Tribune associate editor

November 11, 2007 12:01 am

— DELPHI — Though the Stearns Truss bridge is now more than 100 years old, in many ways, today’s celebration of its opening as an official part of the Wabash Heritage Corridor Trail is more of a rebirth than just a rededication.
Thanks to the efforts of the Dan McCain and the Carroll County Wabash and Erie Canal Association, what stood two years ago in Pulaski County as no more than a weak assemblage of rusting metal will now begin a new life as a historically preserved, one-of-a-kind bridge in Carroll County.
“There aren’t many iron bridges left,” said McCain, president of the Canal Association. “We’ve lost a lot of them and now they’re just about as rare as covered bridges. We’ve been able to save a few of them, and now it makes people real proud of the work they’ve done to save them.”
Now known as the Blue Bridge, at one point, it was one of about a dozen in Pulaski County alone. Now, it is the only Stearns Truss bridge left in existence in the United States.
The bridge was originally built in 1905 by John Frain, Chester Blinn and the Winamac Bridge Company. It spanned the Big Monon Ditch, a wetland area near Medaryville, until just last year. However, it was all but forgotten until early 2005.
The structure was an important rediscovery because of its unique design. Built more than a century ago, it was designed by civil engineer William E. Stearns to carry a given weight using less metal than other bridges being built at the same time, which made it more economical.
The moveable truss design was also unusual because of the caissons supporting it. The upright iron cylinders were filled with loosely mortared rubble that could be easily unloaded in the event the bridge needed to be relocated.
Though it was a design breakthrough at the time it was built, it is now one of the reasons that bridges of this kind are all but extinct.
“Today, people expect to just rumble across a structure at 60 miles an hour with a heavy load, and most of the bridges succumbed because they weren’t wide enough and they weren’t heavy enough,” said McCain. “They just wore out and eventually they were replaced by newer ones.
“They stopped using this one about 40 years ago. The road was also vacated and nobody used it either, so as a result, that’s probably one of the things that saved this bridge.”
The bridge had been moved two other times during its life in Pulaski County, but it was nearly torn down when, in 2005, it stood in the way of a scheduled dredging of the ditch.
Although it had been abandoned for years and was in serious disrepair, the Canal Association purchased it from the Pulaski County Commissioners for just $10 in December 2005 with the understanding that it had to be moved by March 31, 2006.
When McCain, whose mother was the president of the first Canal Association, arrived in Pulaski County on March 2, 2006, with the machinery to begin the move, it didn’t appear as if the bridge could have waited much longer.
“It almost fell over,” he said. “It had no deck, it was rusty and it had started to break apart because nobody had cared for it in about 40 years. I really think a strong wind could have taken it over.”
The restoration team had experience with relocation projects after moving the Red Bridge eight years ago from Camden to its current location near the Canal Interpretive Center north of Delphi. Still, they ran into several unforeseen problems along the way.
When the bridge was last repositioned over the Big Monon Ditch, workers had partially filled the caissons with concrete, seemingly to stabilize the bridge. However, the concrete made it impossible to completely clean out the caissons and the added weight made repositioning the cylinders a huge chore.
A high water table and wet soil conditions also made it difficult to stabilize the structure. However, project volunteers said they weren’t deterred.
“I don’t think anyone ever had any doubt that we would get the bridge back up, it was just a matter of when,” said Roy Patrick.
Once the structure itself was secure, volunteers were able to begin restoring it in appearance. The bright blue paint distinguishes the original iron of the bridge from additions and replacements. The decking is all new, laid just one month ago as part of “Decking Day.”
In all, McCain said more than 50 volunteers have worked on the project, including 10 regulars who have been part of the effort since the beginning. McCain said all of the volunteers will be honored as part of today’s rededication.
“I’ve enjoyed it because it’s a good thing for the community and I also get a sense of satisfaction,” said Al Auffard. “Getting this bridge up is a huge sense of satisfaction.”
As part of today’s celebration, a 1903 Winton will be on display. Owned by a descendant of one of the original bridge builders, it will be the last automobile ever allowed to cross the bridge before it officially begins its life as part of the 10-mile trail system, which is known collectively as the Delphi Historic Trails.
McCain said he and the other volunteers are also looking forward to driving the golden spike to mark the project’s completion.
Though today’s celebration will highlight the bridge, McCain said it is also intended to raise awareness about all the historic bridges and trails that are part of the history and culture of the Wabash Valley.
“We want to celebrate what we have and bring the community with people from Pulaski, Cass and Tippecanoe counties out here to show them what we’ve done here,” said McCain. “Since we’re just volunteers, it’s very rewarding to see this happen.”
Carla Knapp can be contacted at (574) 732-5150 or via e-mail at carla.knapp@pharostribune.com

Want to go?
What: Rededication of the 1905 Stearns Truss Iron Bridge
When and where: Official ceremony at 2 p.m. today at the bridge site behind Pizza Hut and Dairy Queen, Delphi. Members of the Canal Association will be on-site from noon to 4 p.m. A trolley will cycle to the site every 20 minutes from the opera house downtown.

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