These are notes that I am writing to help me learn our industrial history. They are my best understanding, but that does not mean they are a correct understanding.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Big Four's Wabash Cannon Ball Bridge over Wabash River near St. Francisville, IL
I learned from Facebook that a current road bridge over the Wabash River used to be a railroad bridge. But I won't use the Facebook picture because it looks like it was snarfed from Historic Bridges. This Google link includes several pictures of this bridge (you may have to turn on the "Explore" option). Also, Bridge Hunter and Historic Bridges each have a big picture collection for this bridge.
Tom Wood comments in Bridge Hunter:
As for its history: allegedly it was originally constructed by the King Bridge Company in Wilmington, Delaware in 1897, then bought by the railroad, dismantled, and rebuilt on its current site in 1906.
This would explain why some of the truss spans were built in 1897 and the deck plate girder spans were built in 1903 and 1904. Then more work was done in 1924 because the swing span and another span are from this year according to Historic Bridges.
I used to cross this bridge often when I was a kid. It was originally a railroad bridge that was then abandoned by the railroad sometime in the 70s. A farmer from Illinois that owned fields on both sides of the river bought it and turned it into a toll bridge due to him being tired of having to go all the way to the next town to cross. The full history is in this link, it's extremely interesting including the ghost story about it.
Steve Hess commented on Ethan's post Still use it to move grain across the river.
I'm including a June 6, 2009 Bridge Hunter comment by James Norwood because I also wondered about the bridge name given that the Wabash Railroad was much further north of here.
I am wondering why they call it the Wabash Cannonball Bridge? The rail line that crossed here was an old New York Central branch line. Only the Wabash Railroad had a train called that to my knowledge. It's bridge over the Wabash River is clear up in Attica, Indiana or another at Andrews, Indiana. No hate, I am just curious as to the story behind the name. Maybe something to do with the French, George Rogers Clark, and Vincennes history involving cannons and the river that was interesting to the farmer/owner and locals perhaps?
Interesting development is the State of Illinois is taking over control of the bridge according to a report in the "Daily Record" newspaper of Lawrence County, Illinois. Story can be found athttp://www.lawdailyrecord.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=56...
There are paranormal legends involving crossing from Indiana to Illinois and seeing a "floating purple head", thus another nickname for the bridge. Info about that can be found by googling it. Take care, James
It was built by the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (Big Four). Since Big Four became part of the New York Central, this bridge was owned by Penn Central when it was abandoned. An owner of a grain drying service on the Indiana side of the river bought and repaired the right-of-way in 1970 so that he could serve the farms in Illinois as well as Indiana. (Bridge Hunter comment by Barbara Paxton, date is from Historic Bridges) Illinois took control of the bridge and evidently fixed it. (One cannot assume that Illinois will fix a bridge. Illinois has closed the New Harmony Wabash River Bridge rather than fix it. And other truss bridges were removed after completely new bridges were built.) Flash Earth shows that the four trusses of this bridge are still intact.
Looking at my 1928 Railroad Atlas, the Big Four route went from Evansville, IN across the Wabash River to Mt. Carmel, IL. There it joined the "Egyptian route" from Cairo, IL. The joint route then continued north to St. Francisville, IL and north to the Chicago area. At st. Francisville, a branch went across the Wabash using this bridge to Vincennes, IN, where it terminated. (Big Four had another route that went from Evansville to Terre Haute, but it passed through Washington, IN.) So within a rather short distance, the route from Evansville to Vincennes crosses the Wabash River twice! My 1976 RR Atlas shows the segment from St. Francisville to Vincennes is gone.
vuTrailblazerNews (source), Photo by Maber Morris Exploring Local Legends: The Wabash Cannonball Bridge
(new window) The state has bought and refurbished it so that you can drive across it for a dollar. So the middle of the video includes a drive over. Near the end of the drive, look at all of the driftwood piled on the shore left of the bridge. (Update: when I visited in 2016, there was no toll.)
Chuck evidently drives a semi-truck across this regularly. One comment says he did it 12 times in one day. Since this is a one-lane bridge, I learned that the protocol is to turn on your bright lights so that vehicles on the other side know it is occupied and that they should wait.
Richard Mead posted
Wabash St. Francisville bridge between Illinois and Indiana.
Jeff Gueisewite Inc. posted six photos with the comment: "A little work on the wabash cannonball bridge in St. Francisville." Danny Seibert Can't believe no one made you mat the bridge. Jeff Guisewite Inc. Machine was only 55k, it would have less psi than a loaded semi. Danny SeibertJeff oh that's a baby machine then...looked bigger than that. Bill Lancaster Semi trucks cross it on a regular basis with 85,000. Andrew Rauch Crossed it in a semi several years ago loaded with corn. Didnt like hearing the bridge making a pinging noise..
Don Wagoner shared Mike G Crain NS should have taken notes on how and when to pull drift. Brunswick Missouri bridge would have still been there.
[I don't think a bigger excavator would have fit on the bridge.]
1
2
[This shot show how high up on the pier the water level is.]
Jordan Sayge commented on the third photo posted by Jeff
[I wonder if the excavator did this or if the damage was already done.]
safe_image for post by Forgotten Railways, Roads, and Places for: Wabash Cannonball Bridge: a single-lane bridge pretty narrowCarlton Crasher I don't believe the first part is true. It was the Cairo to Vincennes Railroad. The first train crossed into Vincennes in December of 1872 found in the archives of the Western Sun Vincennes newspaper. You can Google the locomotive as well used.
Originally the bridge was built in the 1880s and moved in 1905 to the current location in St. Francisville. The rail line on rail maps was active as of 1872. So I wonder 30 years before that what bridge sat there possibly on the same piers.
Stephanie Winkler posted a B&W photo with the comment:
The Cannonball Bridge connects Saint Francesville IL to Vincennes IN. The railroad bridge was built in 1897 and was abandoned in 1965, but it shortly found new life as a one lane toll road for vehicles crossing the Wabash River. Locals sometimes refer to it as the Purple Head Bridge because of its haunted history. Stories vary from an unfortunate hanging mistake that resulted in decapitation, to supposed hangings conducted by the KKK, to a Native American shaman beheaded during the French and Indian War. Regardless of the origin of the ghost, many witnesses have claimed to spotted a floating purple head while crossing the bridge late at night. Those brave enough are encouraged by lore to visit at midnight, stop their car midway, and wait for the ghost to appear. Don't wait too long because this 1441 ft bridge is open to traffic from both directions and there are no traffic signals to prevent oncoming cars from entering while the bridge is occupied. Personally, I think the scariest part is driving across this rickety old thing!
Kevin Deboy posted six images with the comment: "Cannon Ball bridge crossing the Wabash River connecting Indiana and Illinois. Near Vincennes Indiana."
John Albert Christeson Jr. posted St. Francisville Bridge over the Wabash River near Vincennes IN. This bridge is scheduled to be replaced within the next couple of years.
So cool!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSooooooo cool!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete