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Oriana Camelback Truss Bridge was built by the Missouri Valley Bridge
& Iron Co., Leavenworth, Kansas. Completed in June 1917, the concrete
supports collapsed by October of that year and repairs were made by
The Austin Brothers, Bridge Company of Dallas.
The bridge was closed to traffic in 1995. The Salt Fork of the Brazos
had a second (railroad) bridge at the site - removed sometime after
1968. |
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Stonewall County
Serendipity
Editor's
Note: William
Holmes' excellent photograph of the Oriana bridge was sent
in on January 14th. Two days later we heard from Delores (Deanie)
Miles who was sending in the date of this year's Peacock,
Texas reunion. We asked Ms. Miles what she knew of the bridge
- which (with the help of her many friends) turned out to be quite
a bit. At the very least it prompted a page to be written for the
ghost town of Oriana,
Texas - insuring that that town will also be remembered. These
memories and stories maybe short and sweet but after reading them
you'll never pass another vintage bridge without thinking of what
may have taken place on, near (or under) these rusting (and seemingly
forgotten) structures. - Editor, February 2007 |
Autoist Travelers,
Beware!
"Stonewall County
can boast of 153.19 miles of paved highways in this year of 1979,
but it has not always been so. In May 1919 the following letter was
received and published by the Aspermont Star:
"All autoist travelers are hereby advised if possible to dodge Stonewall
County owing to conditions and customs prevaling there. The road
between Peacock
and Jayton
is very bad. There is no crossing at the Brazos River, and no attempt
being made to fix one. It will cost you $1.00 to be pulled over by
teams, besides damaging your car. There is graft also in being pulled
through the sand. Unless compelled to go through Stonewall
County, better dodge it". CS Mitchell
In 1932 Highways 32 and 18 were designated across the county. Paving
was begun in 1935 and the cost of the project was approximately half
a million dollars which included the construction of two huge bridges.
TxDoT maintains an office and yard in Aspermont
with 10 full-time employees and about 28 major pieces of equipment.
- Rita Graham Trammell - from the 1979 book: Stonewall County
Between the Forks of the Brazos |
Quicksand,
Watermelons and Water Moccasins
"We used to have parties under the bridge but I may be thinking of
the New River Bridge. I know we went swimming there. Helen K. will
probably remember that I almost drowned there once and once we were
scared by a water moccasin - or so we believed it to be. I can't remember
if there was quicksand there or if it was under the new bridge. We
used to bust watermelons on the bridge and spin our tires."
Most of these people that had the photos and knew the area history
are deceased now. We younger ones are beginning to regret we did not
write down more of the stories they told for our children who we were
then busy raising." - Delores Miles
Ms. Miles' request to her former classmates brought several responses,
including this letter from Helen Newman, who wrote:
"Deanie, Our little community can stand all the good publicity
we can get. I do have some information about the river bridge. I still
have a scar from being cut by a piece of glass while wading under
that bridge during a class party." |
Photographer's
Note:
Dear TE, I searched your site, but did not find this bridge on your
list of Texas bridges. I found this one crossing the Salt Fork of
the Brazos River, within a mile of Peacock.
I'm guessing it dates from 1920s. Does [anyone] know anything about
the history of this bridge? Thank you. - William Holmes, Arlington,
Texas, January 14, 2007
Anyone wishing to share additional stories about the bridge now known
as The Oriana Camelback Truss Bridge over the Salt Fork of the Brazos
River, please contact
us. |
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