Bridge Builders’ Directory

146792-l — Chimney Rock Bridge in Winneshiek County, Iowa- a product of the Continental Bridge Company of Chicago

In 1984, the first bridge builder directory in the United States was produced for the public. Known as Darnell, the directory featured an outline and only some quick facts as to when the company existed. While it provided historians with an essential reference to the bridge builder, especially when identifying historic bridges, a lot of information has accumulated over the years, thus justifying an even more comprehensive guide for historians to use.

The Bridgehunter’s Chronicles offers a comprehensive guide on the history of the bridge companies, looking at who founded and operated it, its successes and hardships, and even examples of historic bridges built by the companies. Some are based on information from other sources, including wikipedia, bridge company websites and even bridge websites, like historicbridges.org. Others are based on articles written and posted by the Bridgehunter’s Chronicles.

If you are looking for some information, scroll down here to find what you are looking for. The directory not only features bridge companies and engineers in the United States, but also those in Europe and elsewhere, including engineers who immigrated to the US as well as those who made history with their invention of/ innovative bridge designs. Each company will have a mark of origin in the form of an acronym (USA, Ger., UK, etc.).

Directory:

A-C

Othmar H. Ammann: b. 1879 d. 1965 (CH/USA)

Algoma Bridge Company of Winnipeg (CAN)

American Bridge Company (USA): 1901-present

A.H. Austin of Webster City, Iowa (USA): 1877-1920?

Bach Steel Company of Holt, Michigan (USA): 1997-present

Sir Donald Coleman Bailey (UK) b. 1901 d. 1985

J.A.Barker Engineering in Bloomington, Indiana (USA): 1998-present

Central States Bridge Company of Indianapolis, Indiana: 1895-?

Champion Bridge Company of Wilmington, Ohio (USA): 1878-present (Zimri Wall had built bridges prior to fouding the company)

Continental Bridge Company of Chicago, Illinois (USA)