1932 Prettyboy Dam on Gunpowder River near Parkton, MD

(Satellite)

kiddle
"The Prettyboy Dam was finished in 1932." The reservoir and the forests around it are owned by the City of Baltimore because it is part of its water supply. "There's a story about how Prettyboy Reservoir got its name. It's said that the lake was named after a settler's horse, named Pretty Boy. The horse supposedly drowned in a creek that was once in the area."

The water dissipation technique for the far spillway is different than the middle two. A closer look at the above photo shows the outer two spillways curve into an apron while the middle two just drop down into the river.

yelp, Ana B. on Mar 10, 2024

This view clearly shows that they run the outlet works while spilling water.

AmericanWhitewater

Down the Gunpowder River posted
If you've walked up or down those almost vertical stairs in Parkton, MD., You have found one of the sources of the Gunpowder River coming out of Prettyboy Dam.

Tim Feeser: Back in the 1970’s, the water flow was held to a trickle in the summer. Thanks to Trout Unlimited and some cooperative folks in Baltimore, a minimum flow agreement was reached. This was the genesis of the year round trout fishery we have today.

176 steps [overview]

Kimberly Moore commented on Daniel's post
This is a picture from my son’s drone. Spent many years there hiking and swimming.

 

reddit, RusselStrouseStudio (also Instagram)

Note that the outlet works is running in every photo of the dam. The outlet works removes the water from the lower depths of the reservoir where the water is colder. The cold water and constant flow is probably to help the fish. 

This information confirms my fish theory and informs us that the fish are trout. It also informs me about Google's relatively new AI application. I read that some websites are suing Google because people are no longer "clicking through." That is, they use the summary info rather than click the link and go to the website for the information. Obviously, that reduces the website's "hit count." I'm a boomer, and I still click through. But in this case, I could not find the information on the websites! For the reddit link, I could not access the comments. For the Facebook link, I have no idea where Google found that information. But that was exactly the info that I was after.

Google search results
reddit link
Facebook link

Upstream has different fish species than the downstream has.

storymaps
"Boat propulsion is limited to rowing, paddling, or battery powered motors...The black bass population is the primary focus of sampling efforts and management. Electrofishing surveys are conducted to assess the population structure of black bass and other gamefish.  "

brayman
$6m project completed in Apr 2010.
"The Prettyboy Dam project involved the installation of an underwater anchorage system necessary to secure the concrete gatehouse to the dam."

1931 Bill Graves Bridge over Coosa River in Wetumpka, AL

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter is broke; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Brian Tannehill, Mar 2019

The lampposts indicated where the piers are from which the arches launch. So about an eighth of the rainbow arch is under the deck on both ends of the arch.

Street View, Sep 2023

Historic Alabama Online posted
Opening of the Bibb Graves Bridge over the Coosa River in Wetumpka, Alabama.1931

HistoricBridges
This 878' (240m) long bridge has spans of 140' (43m).
"This large multi-span rainbow arch bridge is the only one of its kind in Alabama, and one of the top historic bridges in the state. The bridge retains excellent historic integrity. Overall the bridge is in good condition as well, although for unknown reasons a single through arch span is suffering from ASR [Alkali-Silica Reaction] cracking."

GlobalGilson, photo credit: ASR Identification Handbook
"Although Alkali-Silica Reactivity (ASR) has created problems in concrete mixtures for centuries, the mechanism was not understood and documented until the mid-1930s. Thomas Stanton, an engineer with the California State Division of Highways, identified the issue. By 1940, he had completed his research showing that alkali content in cement, the amount of reactive silica in the aggregate, and the availability of moisture caused the expansion of sample mortar bars in laboratory tests. ASR is now recognized as a significant cause of concrete deterioration anywhere in the world where siliceous aggregates are found."
A diagram shows that the problem in the aggregates is SiO2.
[I thought that sand was used as one of the aggregates in concrete mixtures. But I guess not because I just confirmed that SiO2, or silica, is the primary chemical in sand. [CivilToday]]

Bonus

This had to be a lock. Note the notches for the gates.

Satellite

Erie Canal Locks #20 (Original) and #29 (Enlarged Empire) east of Fort Hunter, NY

Enlarged: (HAER; Satellite, "about a mile east of Schoharie Creek Aqueduct" [ErieCanal])

Erie Canal Overview

HAER NY,29-FORHU,2C--2, 1970
North end. - Erie Canal (Enlarged), Empire Lock Number 29, Fort Hunter, Montgomery County, NY

"Significance: Part of the remaining fabric of a historic transportation system. Adjacent to remains of Empire Lock No. 20, part of DeWitt Clinton's Big Ditch of 1822. Its 8-foot lift replaced the original 4-foot lock. Improvements were made on Lock 29 in 1885." [HAER_data]

I do not understand why the Enlarged lock number is higher than the "Clinton Ditch" lock number. There were more locks on the Clinton Ditch than the Enlarged Canal. And in every other case where the locks were close, the Clinton Ditch had the higher number.

I dropped the pin on the center divider, which is between the two lock chambers. Note the wall extending from the south chamber. The improvement made in 1885 is that one of the chambers in each lock was made longer. I think the caption for the above photo is wrong. I think the photo was taken from the south end looking a little east of North across the south chamber, the center divider and the north chamber. Note the notch about halfway along the south chamber. That would have been the original length of the chamber at the end of the center divider.

Satellite

The stones are looking a little rough and nature is gaining.

ErieCanal
"'Erie Canal National Historic Landmark, Glen and Florida, Montgomery Co., NY' (Oct. 1983) -- View southeast across Empire Lock (from National Park Service site)."

Someone has taken a much needed chainsaw to the area. But Roundup is needed on the vegetation growing out of the lock walls.

ErieCanal, this is one of several 2007 photos on this webpage
"'Empire' Lock No. 29 -- lengthened south chamber looking east; north chamber at upper left."

Joel Torres posted two photos with the comment:

Enlarged Erie Canal 

"Empire Lock 29" 

Fort Hunter N.Y.

Thomas Constantine: Up to date pic?

Joel Torres: Thomas Constantine a few yrs old

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2002 US-231 William H. Natcher Bridge over Ohio River bypassing Owensboro, KY

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

This 4,505' (1,373m) long bridge has a main span of 1200' (366m). [BridgeHunter]

 

Street View, Aug 2012

Dan Murphy posted
William H. Natcher Bridge near Rockport, IN

rockportky_bridges

 

Mar 2015 Photo by Adam during the flooding via BridgeHunter

Facebook Reel

IUOE Community posted five photos with the comment:

If you’ve ever crossed the William H. Natcher bridge between Owensboro and Rockport, IUOE 181 helped make it happen. Building useful infrastructure and noticeable landmarks is just one thing that makes our work so rewarding..

.

Post Credit: IUOE Local 181

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Trail/AE&FR Bridge over Fox River between St. Charles & South Elgin, IL

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter is broke; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

AE&FR = Aurora, Elgin & Fox River

It looks like the Fox River is running high.

Claus Mygind, Aug 2023

Dave Kuntz Drone Photos posted
Some exciting news - This interurban bridge photo from Elgin IL is going to be featured in the next issue of Rails to Trails Magazine.  I always give away photos to trail coordinators and nonprofits so if you fit in this category and want to publish something, let me know.

I thought this photo was the same until I noticed that the reflection of the clouds was different.

TrailLink, submitted by omahadivision
"One of the nicest parts of the entire Fox River Trail is the 900 foot [274m] long (including island!) bridge over the Fox River in South Elgin, built on the piers of the Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin interurban railway."
[He has specified the wrong interurban. As I indicated at the top of these notes, this was the AE&FR.]

UP/MKT/OK&T/1889 Rock Island Bridge over Cimarron River near Dover, OK, collapsed Sep 18, 1906

1889: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter is broke; no Historic Bridges)

Replacement: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

MKT = Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy)

OK&T = Oklahoma, Kansas & Texas It operated the route between Dallas and Salina, KS.

Charlene Hagen posted two photos with the comment: "Dover, Oklahoma achieved notoriety on September 18, 1906, when the Cimarron River bridge collapsed, allowing Rock Island Number 12, a passenger train, to crash into the waters below. The loss of life, at least one hundred, made this one of the nation's worst train wrecks**.    There are numerous conflicting reports however, with some stating only 4 people perished in this accident, but we will never know the true number.  The engine is still under there to this day."

David Heinrichs: According to what I heard overloaded train with quite a few families on it. There was something sticking out that was on the train that caught the bridge support causing the bridge to collapse. The train is still there sunk down in like quick sand. Guy from Dover my age said you could swim down and touch and see the train.

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Street View, Oct 2025

The Rock Island bridge was a "temporary" bridge built in 1898 to replace a wood trestle that was wrecked when heavy rains shifted the sandy river bottom. "Eight years later, the temporary bridge was still there. So was Dover, and its residents had spent nearly all of the intervening years demanding that the Rock Island replace their bridged with something built to last, something that would be safer because it would rest atop piles driven under the water, through the sand, and deep into bedrock. But . . . nothing happened until 1906." [okielegacy]

I presume that is the collapsed wood trestle in the background of this newspaper photo.

ODOTdatabase

Oklahoman explains why UP sued a contractor to leave the locomotive in the sandy river bottom.

I could not find anything on what replaced the 1906 trestle nor when today's steel-girder bridge was built.

Bonus

There is a 1921 truss bridge preserved about a couple miles west of Dover.

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

The bridge is 800' (244m) long because of a large floodplain on the south side. I picked this view to emphasize the floodplain. And the trusses are pin connected.

Street View, Sep 2023

It looks like it has its original railings.

Street View, Sep 2023

1930 US-66 Pony Truss Bridge saved in a Roadside Park in Hydro, OK

Original Location: (Satellite, the bridge was replaced by a culvert and embankment.)

New Location: (Satellite, the welcome-to-Hydro park has yet to show up on the satellite image.)

Hydro has already preserved a Route 66 gas station.

Route 66 News posted

Former Route 66 bridge moved to roadside park near Hydro

A historic Route 66 bridge was removed and recently placed at the site of a forthcoming Route 66 roadside park outside of Hydro, Oklahoma. The Weatherford Daily News posted this short video of workers placing the 1930 truss bridge at the site: The newspaper reported: Hydro was awarded $496,000 by the Oklahoma Route 66 Commission to create a brand-new “Welcome to Hydro” attraction park, with the newly placed bridge as the star of the show....

8-axels on the crane. That is big enough that it can lift the whole bridge. Fortunately, it needs a relatively short radius with that load. (Why do online news releases make it so hard to find a date? This was posted on Dec 9, 2025.)

route66news video

OAklaomaRoute66 and cover photo for Hydro Route 66 Bridge

The bridge was decommissioned in 2006, and it was replaced with an embankment in 2008.

Street View, May 2008

Street View, Jul 2013

Alan Entz took ownership of the truss. "For nearly 20 years, it sat on the Entz’s property as a dream. Now, with the Route 66 Centennial fast approaching, it is returning to the Mother Road."  [OAklaomaRoute66]

Two heavy-duty tow trucks, two telehandlers and an excavator was what was used to lift it up so that they could back a trailer under it for the move.

Screenshot from video embedded in OAklaomaRoute66

Upsy daisy

Same video

1964 Chatham and Division Street Bridges over CalSag Channel in Blue Island, IL

Chatham: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter has been hacked?; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Division: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter has been hacked?; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

I wonder how far away those smokestack were. Today's CalSag is wider than the original one.

MWRD posted
A view to the south showing a bridge over the Cal-Sag Channel at Chicago Street in Blue Island, Illinois, on August 29, 1924.

Chatham Street Bridge with a little of Division Street Bridge in the left background.

Street View, Jun 2023

One of a pair of nearly identical bridges over the Cal Sag Channel in Blue Island. The other is at Division Street, and was in about the same bad condition prior to their rehab.

Rehabilitation of this bridge for pedestrian and bicycle use as part of the Cal-Sag Trail is complete. It also serves pedestrian traffic from the south side of the Cal-Sag to the Metra commuter train stations on the north side of the Cal-Sag.

It needed repairs badly - It was closed to traffic but left open to pedestrians after the 2010 inspection rated it "Imminent Failure", but then in 2015 it was also closed to pedestrians. It appears that between 1964 when it was built, and 2016 when rehabilitation started, it had received no maintenance at all, not even painting.

The 2016 rehabilitation replaced and narrowed the deck, and rehabbed the steel superstructure. The narrower deck has exposed the bottom chord and its complex connections to easy view. This is not always possible on steel truss bridges, making this a very accessible bridge for one wanting to study what holds steel truss bridges together.

[BridgeHunter_Chatham]

Before the 2017 rehab

Street View, Jul 2012

Both bridges were built in 1965, neglected, closed in 2010 and rehabilitated in 2016. However, Chatham Street Bridge is not for non-motorized traffic only.

"This bridge is one of two nearly identical bridges in Blue Island that are both deteriorated and closed to traffic. The reason for the deterioration appears to be caused by a nearly complete lack of maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation over the bridge's relatively short service life. From a historical perspective, the lack of maintenance is interesting since aside from the deterioration, the bridge appears as it was when first built. The original concrete deck remains, with only some minor patching for potholes. Original pedestrian railings remain, and typical of older truss bridges with sidewalks there are no railings between the truss lines and the vehicular roadway. Original stringer approach spans remain in place. Expansion joints also appear to be original. A bridge painted date is painted on the bridge as May 1965 which indicates the bridge has never been repainted since its initial painted. There also is no evidence of spot painting. It is this lack of even basic spot painting over the bridge's service life that most likely has led to the isolated areas of complete section loss on a number of vertical members. This bridge is thus an excellent unaltered example of a 1960s truss bridge as much as it is an excellent example of the value of basic maintenance such as spot painting, which would have been drastically cheaper than a rehabilitation would be, or even worse, a complete structure replacement." [HistoricBridges_Chatham]

This view shows how we can see the under deck girders and their attachment to the trusses. I have to give some thought to making a road trip.

Street View, Apr 2025

Division Street has a more traditional portal view of a truss bridge.

Street View, Apr 2025