A HISTORY OF THE 7 CRAWFORD BRIDGES IN CONNELLSVILLE
THE 1ST BRIDGE) Wooden (1800?-1816)
Isaac Meason and Zachariah Connell, their heirs and assigns, were to erect or build a bridge in the manner in this act before mentioned, on any private property — without the consent of the owner or owners thereof, or to erect the same in such manner as in any way to injure the navigation of said river, or the passage over the ford across the river, near where the bridge may be erected."
It was further provided by the act "That all poor persons, or those who may be exempted from payment of county rates and levies, shall have liberty to pass and repass over and across said bridge toll free." The time was limited to one year for beginning the erection of the bridge and to three years for its completion. The work was completed within the limit of time fixed by the statute although it is not known exactly when it was thrown open to the public.
Its location was nearly one hundred feet up stream from the present bridge and was a wooden-bent structure, resting at the two ends on abutments, which were rude affairs, each formed of a strong crib-work of logs filled in with stones. The bridge remained for perhaps, fifteen years, and was carried away by floods sometime in the year 1816, or early in 1817, as evidenced by a niemorandum found, showing that a ferry was in operation by Joseph Keepers and George Sloan in the spring of 1817. The abutment and old toll house remained standing for a number of years at the Connellsville end about opposite the present Hotel Haas, on Water street — in fact, the toll house was not demolished until the building of the railroad made it necessary.
(THE 2ND BRIDGE) Wooden (1818-1827)
In the year 1818 the second bridge was built. This
was also a wooden-bent structure, built after a model furnished by Adam Wilson, a Scotchman, known throughout the country for his ingenuity. This bridge was supported above by four heavy arches, formed of two-inch oak planks bolted together, and it rested between the abutments on
three strong bents of heavy timber, having breakers extending from their bases up stream between thirty and forty feet and sloping at an angle of forty-five degrees from the bed of the river to the chords of the bridge. For nine years this bridge stood intact, but in 1827 the span next to the New Haven shore fell, while a wagon heavily laden and drawn by six horses was upon it.
It went down with a crash, yet it fell so squarely that neither horses, driver, wagon or load sustained any serious damage. The work of rebuilding the fallen span was at once undertaken, and the wooden arches replaced by a kind of truss work. While the repairs were being made, Samuel Downey ran a ferry to take care of the traveling public. In February, 1831, a heavy ice gorge in the river broke up and carried away all of the bridge except the new span on the New Haven side.
(THE 3RD BRIDGE) Wooden (1832-1860)
A great improvement on the first two bridges was made in on 3 built in 1832 by the Meason and Connell heirs. The bridge was built with two spans, resting on stone abutments. and a stone pier in the river. The spans were supported by solid wooden arches and the superstructure was covered to protect it from the weather. For about twenty- eight years this bridge did duty, until April, 1860, when a great and sudden rise in the river undermined the pier and carried the whole structure away. The water rose at that time to within about two feet of the bridge floor and within a foot of the roadway on Front street, New Haven.
James H. White made two or three unsuccessful attempts to build a bent bridge of short spans during the summer and fall succeeding the flood which destroyed this bridge, but his efforts were frustrated each time by a rise in the river which carried away his bents, and finally the plan was abandoned. This work was attempted some forty or fifty feet further up the stream than the location of the last one.
The history of the old bridges is hardly complete without some mention of "Aunt Jenny" Wallace (sister of Zachariah Connell's second wife) who held the position of toll-taker for many years. She must have been a quaint character, indeed, if all the stories told about her are true. Some of these anecdotes savor much of the Stone Age, and will hardly justify repetition here. Suffice it that there were a great many jokes played upon her and she was much teased by the boys and practical jokers of that time. The bridge was hers in so far as her relations to the patrons of the bridge were concerned. She haggled for the last copper and was, from all reports an efficient and faithful guardian of her trust. One who was a boy in her time describes her as of sour visage and generally uninviting aspect, clothed in an old black dress the right side of which she would grab with her left hand and with her right plunge into the depths of her pocket to make change for a "fip."
Let us hope that her sourness of countenance was only the mask assumed to impress the flippant passengers with the importance of her trust.
(THE 4TH BRIDGE) Old Stone Suspension Bridge (1862-1898) (Photo #1)
It wasn't until 93 years later after Crawford Laid out land for New Haven. Almost a century, in 1862, that a Stone suspension bridge was finally built to connect it with her sister town of Connellsville.
After the destruction of the third bridge, other parties made arrangements with the owners of the Meason-Connell franchise, under which a new bridge company was formed, and by act of the Legislature, passed April 17, 1861, supplementing the act of March 15, 1800, was created a body corporate under the name of the "Youghiogheny Bridge Company" with an authorized capital stock of $20,000.00, divided into eight hundred shares of the par value of $25.00 each. Stock in the new company was issued to Mrs. Mary Meason, George E. Hogg and James H. White for their property and interest in the old charter and these three were the incorporators named in the application for the new charter.
A meeting of the stockholders was held at the office of George J. Ashman, July 20, 1861, when George Nickel was elected president; George J. Ashman, secretary and treasurer, and James Wilkey, Samuel Russell, Provance McCormick, James H. White and John K. Brown, managers. A building committee composed of James H. White, George Nickel and Jonathan Hewitt was appointed by the managers, and a contract with Christian Snyder was entered into, for the erection of the stone work, on August 24, 1861. Plans were submitted by a Mr. Smith, an engineer from "down the river," for a suspension bridge. They were adopted, and work was commenced the same year and finished in the summer of 1862, at a cost of $19,600.00. The suspension cables were anchored in masonry covered with iron-two on each side of river and passed over saddles in stone towers, perhaps twenty-five feet high. From these cables, the wooden bridge was suspended.
Jonathan Hewitt resigned from the building committee at the time of letting the contract, and the work seems to have been carried on under the supervision of Nickel and White until March 11, 1862, when White resigned from the board of managers. George A. Torrence was chosen to succeed him as one of the board, and L. A. Wetherell was appointed to his place on the building committee.
-Centennial History of Connellsville
(THE 5TH BRIDGE) Steel Truss "The Free Bridge"
(1899-1958) Photo #2 & #3
In the spring of 1890 a report became current that the suspension bridge was unsafe. A committee was appointed to have an expert examination made of the property an experienced engineer was procured who submitted an exhaustive report in August of that year pronouncing the cables
and fastenings, superstructure and all to be in excellent condition. He further suggested a plan whereby the capacity of the bridge could be increased by adding a foot-walk at the lower side this plan was adopted and the im-
provements made in the winter of 1890-91, at a cost of about $7,500.00.
A petition was presented to the court of quarter sessions of Fayette county in November, 1890, for the appointment of appraisers to assess damages if any to the Youghiogheny Bridge Company, by virtue of their making it a free bridge. The viewers met and assessed damages, but the county authorities never acted on the matter.
November 1, 1897, a committee of the board was ap- pointed to confer with the stockholders and consider the advisability of building a new bridge. This was finally decided upon and a contract let to the Pittsburgh Bridge Company, on July 11, 1898, for the erection of an "over- head" bridge (with reference to the B.&O. R. R. Company's Tracks and Water street). This contract was afterward amended, and new specifications submitted which were adopted October 3, 1898. The starting of the work was delayed, pending an agreement with the town council of Connellsville as to the place of landing. This was finally adjusted and an agreement entered into between the bridge company and the borough authorities on October 17, 1898. This is a lengthy document and covered all the points at difference. The Bridge Company giving a bond in the sum of $50,000.00 for faithful performance.
Within a few days from the signing of this agree- ment the work was started. This is a steel truss bridge of five spans with steel girders and beams upon which rests a floor of wood, treated with creosote and overlaid with paving brick. The structure was completed and accepted from the contractors at a meeting on November 29, 1899.
The street railway entered into a contract with the bridge company for the privilege of crossing the bridge on October 18th, 1900.
The officers and managers of the company, since May, 1904, are as follows: President, P.S. Newmyer; Treasurer, E.T. Norton; Managers, John D. Frisbee, Kell Long, Isaac F. Wilkey, Philip Wilkey and E.T. Norton.
It became known as "The Free Bridge" when it was turned over to the citizens of Connellsville and New Haven in 1907 after all bridges existing before it had served as toll bridges to travelers crossing, whether doing business between the two communities or traversing Fayette County.
(THE 6TH BRIDGE) (1959-2024) Officer McCray Robb Bridge
Unofficial Name: Death Trap
Due to its crazy low "Guide Rails"
Photo #4 & #5 Courtesy of Dustin L. Murray
Connellsville's Free Bridge (5th Bridge) had stood in place since 1899 when the city began exploring the possibility of replacing it first in 1953. It was officially closed May 5th, 1958 at 8:00 AM with barricade signs and detour signs for route 711 placed at each end of the bridge. After a few days of inclement weather, demolition began at the old bridge on May 10th. The contract stated this project won by the Trumbull Construction Asphalt Company would be completed in 220 days. The new bridge was opened on August 1st, 1959 with a ribbon cutting ceremony on the West Side by a state representative and on the East Side by our then mayor Robert P. McLuckey. A two day "Special Bargains" sale was celebrated by town merchants and the Molinaro Band led the first motorcade of six cars to cross the bridge. These were days full of hope for a prosperous Connellsville with the new route 119 Memorial Bridge having been completed just six years earlier on November 20th, 1953. On November 28th, 2014, Connellsville renamed the Crawford Avenue Bridge as the McCray Robb Memorial Bridge to honor our only police officer that has been shot in the line of duty after serving just three weeks on May 25th, 1882. The photos in the Crawford bridge album of the bridge barricade sign, demolition start, nearing completion and aerial view of new completed bridge were all courtesy of the Courier.
The 6th bridge was deemed unsafe and Plans to replace it came about in 2018. It was to be replaced in 2020 But was pushed back due to covid and financial issues until it was closed in December of 2023
The story of the 7th Bridge McCray Robb Bridge Officially Open (11/11/24) @5pm! Picture #6 (2024) is Still being Written. Mosites Construction Company did a Fabulous Job! MORE TO COME ON IT SOON! Follow For More!
