Texas Suspension Bridge Background

Wow …. as a matter of fact, it never really crossed my mind to think about this particular topic. I always considered the Golden Gate Bridge to be beautiful, just never really considered that this state would have a collection of them. When I was researching a trip we are about to make, I ran across a suspension bridge in Waco built in the 1800s. That got me to thinking …. I wonder if there are others.

As it turns out, there most certainly are. As of this moment, we have located at least five and possibly a sixth that we will be exploring. The Towns of Waco, Sherman, Victoria, and Bluff Dale each have a suspension bridge in the area still standing in varying degrees of repair / disrepair. There is possibly another still standing in the area near Gordon. In just a couple of weeks we will make every attempt to visit all 6 locations.

This morning, I went to Sherman. There is a suspension bridge a couple hundred yards north of US Highway 82 approximately 7 miles east of Sherman at Choctaw Creek. The grass is still green and assuredly, there may be bad insects and possibly even snakes in the area …. later in the year, I’ll go back and get a closer look …. when the risks of snakebite and tickbite subside …. I tend to steer clear of tall grass and overgrowth in the spring, summer, fall. From what I could see, today, I am definitely intrigued.

Here is a photo I took, today of the “Choctaw Creek Bridge” between Sherman and Bells, Texas on US Highway 82:

HAER Documents at the Library of Congress

We are now on a quest to find as many of the remaining antique bridges left in Texas, especially the suspension type.