Suspended In Time

I stood on the wooden planks of this suspension bridge in Waco and closed my eyes, trying to conjure days long ago. On a quiet Sunday afternoon, it wasn’t hard to imagine a herd of Texas cattle, with their eyes rolling in fear, jostling and shoving each other on this bridge as they crossed the Brazos River. You’ve seen a Western movie with a cattle drive in it, so I know you can envision the scene. Can you hear the sounds of cowboys whistling and hollering to get the cattle to move and the bellowing of the beasts?

Can you imagine the cow poop they left behind on this bridge? Oooowheee!

Completed in 1870, and designed by the John A. Roebling Company (the same folks who later built the Brooklyn Bridge), this edifice changed the face of Waco forever. Building it was quite a feat. To build the twin double towers on each end, more than 3 million bricks (locally produced) were used.

Before that bridge, crossing the Brazos River (especially with a herd of cattle along the Chisholm Trail) could be a difficult proposition. There were ferries, of course, but when the rains come around the Brazos rises and the water can be treacherous. Sometimes, folks had to wait for days before they could cross the river. Once this bridge was built, Waco transformed from a tiny frontier town to a booming metropolis — a gateway across the heart of Texas.

Until 1889 this bridge (which is near the site of the original Waco Springs) was a toll bridge for wagons, stagecoaches, pedestrians, and cattle drives. That year it was sold to McClennan County and became free for the public to use. Until 1929, this bridge was the longest single span suspension bridge west of the Mississippi River.

These days, Interstate 35 bypasses this bridge. Most travelers through my neck of the woods don’t look to their west and notice that suspension bridge hanging across the Brazos. But, if you will exit the highway and venture into Waco, you can enjoy the two beautiful parks and the almost seven miles of lighted walking trails beside the river. The parks are dotted with sculptures, such as this one called “Branding the Brazos.”

Take a walk across that suspension bridge and let your mind wander back in time. It’s only open to pedestrian traffic now, so I promise you won’t find any cow pies, although you might find some college kids chunking tortillas (like frisbees) toward a piling in the water trying to make a tortilla land on top. I asked them, “Why?” They could only shrug. Bless their hearts, it’s the most exciting thing they can find to do on a Sunday afternoon … but it kept them off the streets for a little while.

Other posts you might enjoy:

1. The Haunted Driskill Hotel in Black and White
2. Bridge To Nowhere
3. Raining Bats At Congress Avenue Bridge
4. Hurricane Ike Affected You, Whether You Know It Or Not
5. Who Was Mother Neff, And Why Does She Get A State Park?

Tagged as: My Neck Of The Woods, Prairies and Lakes, Texas Travel