Marty Smith brought this mystery bridge up to my attention recently when he submitted a pair of photos via Messenger. They were taken by his great-uncle from a long time ago, who originated from Patolka in Marion County, Illinois. These pics were from 80+ years ago. According to him, this may have spanned the Wabash River, even though the river is located much towards the middle than in the western part of the state, towards St. Louis. It’s closer to the Mississippi River. There are two rivers that flows past Patoka: the Kaskaskia River to the west and Deer Creek to the north. The Carlyle Reservoir is five miles west of the town of 340 inhabitants. Smith also indicated that his great-uncle had visited his brother (the grandfather) in Indianapolis, which is why the Illinois River should also be included in the mix of clues to finding more about the bridge.
As far as the bridge is concerned, the structure has a Warren through truss design and featured a continuous cantilever span with a single through truss span each on the outer end as approaches. Judging by the riveted connections, it was most likely built after 1920. The bridge has more likely been extant, having been replaced with a modern span.
Now it’s over to you: The question is where this bridge was located, apart from the fact that it was within a 100-mile radius of Patoka, IL. Yet we should keep the Illinois River under the radar. And what do we know about its story- when it was built (and by whom) and when it was replaced.
Feel free to research and comment about it. Your bridge matters! ❤
The Bridgehunter's Chronicles 