1923+1957 US-90 Bridges over Pecos River west of Comstock, TX

1923: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite, the bridge was destroyed by a flood on June 26, 2954)

1957: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

2013 photo by Nathan Morton via BridgeHunter_1957

The Pecos River is still skinny because the Lake Amistad Dam was not built until 1969.

Chris Spear posted
The "new" U.S. 90 bridge over the Pecos River canyon under construction in this photo circa 1956. Located about 40 miles west of Del Rio, Tx. Previous river level road crossings had all been washed away in flash floods. Note the workers atop the concrete pier.

The bridge in the valley in the above photo must have been a construction bridge. The original US-90 bridge was further downstream at what is now a boat ramp. The road down to the boat ramp was the old US-90.

Satellite

This is a mix of two topo maps. The black line is the old US-90 and the red line is today's US-90.

1944 Mouth of Pecos Quad @ 62,500 and 1972 Seminole Canyon Quad @ 24,000

TXDOT via BridgeHunter_1923

This shows how the road had to climb along the side of the canyon.

BridgeHunter_1923

UP/MoPac/C&EI Bridge over Salt Fork near Sidney, IL

(no Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Carol Erb posted
1903. Building the C&EI bridge over the Salt Fork, near Sidney, Illinois.
Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad Historical Society shared

Carol Erb commented on her post

Miami & Erie Canal Lock #9 in Piqua, OH

(Satellite)

Miami & Erie Canal Overview

Justin Beebe, May 2021

They built the pavilion and restored the lock as an access ramp. Note the notches in the walls for the lock gates.

Rylan Stoltz (cdt_squirel_yt), Sep 2025

The lock was excavated and officially opened on Jul 18, 2024. [GambleAssoc]

The ramp in the lock allows users of the Great Miami River Trail to access downtown Piqua for food and potty. It also provides a connection between the Great Miami River and Ohio to Indiana Trails. The Ohio to Indiana Trail follows the abandoned Pennsy Panhandle route, including their bridge over the Great Miami River.

Satellite

Like the Ohio & Erie Canal on the east side of Ohio, this canal was severely damaged by the 1913 flood, which caused it to close.

Matthew Good, Jun 2019

Mud Mountain Dam on White River near Enumclaw, WA

(Satellite)

Dec 2025 Flood:

Facebook Reel

Most big dams have multiple functions. This one has just one function --- flood control. This is the upstream side of the dam and the reservoir is empty except for the normal flow of the river.

USACE
"The core of the dam is a compacted blend of sand, gravel and glacial till. Upstream and downstream sides of the dam are crushed rock covered by large quarry rocks. The massive weight of the rock holds the core firmly in place. Two tunnels channel the river around and under the dam. A 9-foot-[2.7m]wide tunnel passes normal flows [including sediment]. A 23-foot[7m]-wide tunnel is used during periods of high flows and during floods."

This view is from the other side and it shows that the dam is holding a pool.

USACE

This is a comparable view but the pool is empty. Note that the pool above is almost to the top of the round tower.

Rajesh Kodali, Aug 2021

 Rajesh Kodali, Aug 2021

Why can't the fish use the 9' (2.7m) tunnel to pass through the dam?

$112m was spent for a trap-and-haul facility for the Chinook run. [USACE]

USACE, Seattle District posted
Mud Mountain is a "dry bed" dam with a primary goal of remaining as empty as possible. During a drawdown here, our water managers must also manage sediment and debris. Using specialized tunnels, we "flush" glacial flour (fine-grained, silt-sized rock particles) and wood through the dam to maintain the reservoir’s capacity and ensure the White River’s natural ecosystem remains healthy.

I could not find an explanation of what gets flooded downstream at the various phases of discharge.

KingCounty

Michael Snyder tweeted
White river from Mud Mountain dam release, still flooding local areas and may get worse in Auburn/ Kent areas. 

2:15 video @ 0:21
The person being interviewed says the river is higher than he has ever seen before.

TP&W Farmdale Bridge over NKP/LE&W near East Peoria, IL

(no Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

At first, I was confused by the skinnypiers in the middle and the fat piers on the edges.

Street View, Aug 2011

But these photos confirmed that the skinny piers are parallel to the NKP tracks while the fat piers are square with the TP&W tracks so that they can be smaller.

Noah Haggerty posted four photos with the comment: "An eastbound Toledo, Peoria & Western mixed freight led by three different EMD locomotives cross over the N&W at Farmdale Bridge around late 1979. On the rear of the train, SW1500 #305 is giving the train a push up Washington Hill. John & Roger Kujawa Photo, Thomas Dyrek Collection."

David Jordan: The single TP&W unit makes me wonder if this was the Watseka trip one week after the LaHarpe/Keokuk move? I saw both back then.

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Mark Zook commented on Noah's post
I took this photo, however, it was back when I lived in East Peoria prior to moving to Florida. I believe it was around 1976 or 1977.

Noah Haggerty: Mark Zook Sweet photo! Exact dates escape me, 765 was first on the TP&W in May of 1980.

Mark Zook commented on his comment
here’s another photo. I was chasing the train.

This map helped me find the bridge

1950/50 Peoria East @ 24,000

The NKP route was the western part of the Lake Erie & Western.

Rails and Trails via Dennis DeBruler

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]]

Wayne Moncrief Sr. posted two photos with the comment:

The Story of Wetumpka’s Bridges

Wetumpka has had four bridges over the Coosa River, each one marking a new chapter in the town’s growth.

1. The First Bridge1834

Wetumpka’s very first bridge was built in 1834, a wooden structure that connected the two sides of the young river town. It didn’t last long.

In 1844, a massive flood tore it away and sent it downstream.

2. Horace King’s Bridge1844

Later that same year, Wetumpka turned to Horace King, one of the most remarkable builders in Southern history.

King was:

A self‑taught engineer

Enslaved at the time

A master bridge builder whose skill was unmatched

A man who purchased his freedom in 1846

Later helped build the Alabama State Capitol

His 1844 bridge stood as a symbol of craftsmanship, resilience, and the brilliance of a man who rose from bondage to become one of the South’s greatest builders.

3. The Iron & Steel Truss Bridge 1887

By 1887, Wetumpka needed something stronger.

The town built its first iron and steel through‑truss bridge, a modern marvel for its time. It served Wetumpka for decades, carrying wagons, cars, and generations of families across the Coosa.

Eventually, as the town grew, the old truss bridge became outdated.

4. The Bibb Graves Bridge 1930s

The bridge standing today is the Bibb Graves Bridge, named after David Bibb Graves, Alabama’s 38th governor.

Its iconic arches have become one of Wetumpka’s most recognizable landmarks photographed, painted, filmed, and loved by locals and visitors alike.

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Tim Hornsby commented on Wayne's post
I took this one several years ago

1 of 4 photos posted by Wayne Moncrief Sr.

If you ever ride down the banks of the Coosa River and close your eyes, you can still hear it — that low rumble of water slipping over the rocks. Long before Wetumpka was a town, long before cotton traders and riverboats, that sound gave this place its name. Wetumpka — “rumbling waters” in the Creek language.

But the story starts even earlier.

A Native American village called Taskigi stood right here, watching the river roll by. Families cooked over open fires, children played in the shade of giant trees, and the Coosa was their lifeline.

 1820 A Town Begins

While places like Eclectic were founded by one man, and Montgomery by Andrew Dexter Jr. and General Scott, Wetumpka grew differently. It wasn’t born from one person’s dream — it rose from the river itself.

By the 1820s, pioneers began settling. Two small towns formed on opposite sides of the river, growing fast thanks to the booming cotton trade.

One of the oldest buildings still standing today is the Old Stone Jail, built from hand‑cut local stone. If those walls could talk, they’d tell stories of sheriffs, outlaws, and long nights under lantern light.

Wetumpka’s charm didn’t stay hidden.

It became the backdrop for:

Big Fish (2003)

The Grass Harp (1995)

Hometown Takeover (2021)

The world finally saw what locals already knew — this town has magic in its bones.

Wetumpka has faced eight major floods over the years. The river that named the town also tested it. Streets underwater, homes damaged, businesses washed out — but never washed away.

A tornado tore through downtown, ripping apart buildings and landmarks. But it couldn’t take Wetumpka’s spirit. Neighbors helped neighbors. Volunteers showed up before officials could. And the town came back stronger, brighter, and more united than ever

Wetumpka stands proud as the county seat, a town built not by one man, but by generations of people who refused to give up. A place where history whispers from every corner, where the river still rumbles, and where the past and present walk side by side.

This town didn’t just survive it thrived.

And its story is still being written                     

Bonus

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

Satellite