Lisa Ruble posted
The Scott W. Lucas Memorial Bridge at Havana Illinois River Mason County and Fulton County -- Dedicated as the Havana Bridge on October 11, 1937 Congressman Scott W. Lucas presided at the ceremony. In his speech, Illinois Governor Henry Horner termed the structure a mark of progress in the bettering the state's transportation system. On November 21, 1980, the bridge was Respectfully Designated as The Scott W. Lucas Memorial Bridge. The federal government approved Dearborn Street as the location favored by the state highway department for the location of the new bridge in July 1935. In January 1936, the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company, low bidder for the substructure of the Havana Bridge, began unloading machinery to begin work as soon as the right of way for the approaches were procured. On March 16, 1936, Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company began construction on the new bridge at Havana. The substructure was completed in less time than anticipated because of the low stage of the Illinois River. The new bridge at Havana being the same as the Meredosia Bridge (1936-2018), the same crew were sent to Havana which also made the work progress more rapidly. The Strobel Construction Company of Chicago had the contract for the remainder of the bridge work. The company began the steel work on November 1, 1936. The contract for the 0.72 miles of paving at the east approach of the new Havana Bridge was awarded to Clark Brothers of Peoria in June 1937. The stretch connected the bridge with Route 78. A crew of men from the Overland Construction Company of Chicago began painting the bridge in July 1937. Total cost of the Havana Bridge and paving east approach: $561,300. Sources: The Jacksonville Daily Journal, The Pantagraph, Chicago Tribune -- SCOTT WIKE LUCAS was born on a farm near Chandlerville (Cass County) on February 19, 1892. He worked his way through school, graduating from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1914 and was admitted to the bar in 1915. He entered practice of law at Havana, and in 1917 entered the World War as a private and was honorably discharged with rank of lieutenant. Mr. Lucas was elected State’s Attorney for Mason County in 1920, elected State Commander of the American Legion in 1926, and in Paris in 1927 elected National Judge Advocate of Legion. He was reelected three times. He was a delegate to Democratic National Convention and was Illinois Tax Commission Chairman in 1933. Scott Wike Lucas was elected to represent Illinois in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1935 to 1939. He was then elected as a Senator from Illinois to the United States Senate, serving from 1939 to 1951. While in the Senate he served as the Democratic Whip from 1947 to 1949 and as the Senate Majority Leader from 1949 to 1951. Scott W. Lucas died on February 22, 1968, at Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He is buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery at Havana. | 
