Inscription
Spanning the Kalamazoo River, this 422-foot bridge is one of Michigan´s longest pony truss highway bridges, and among the oldest survivng swing bridges in the United States. The Milwaukee Bridge and Iron Company fabricated the $5,000 structure, which has four primary and eight short approach spans, to serve traffic on Fifty-Seventh Street near New Richmond.
Of the four primary Warren pony truss spans, three date from 1879 (including a 89-foot long swing span) and one from 1899. To allow boats to pass, a bridge tender rotated open the swing span. The bridge was closed to motor vehicles in 1997 and rehabilitated for use by pedestrians in 2003. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
Location
Sources
More markers in Allegan
Old Wing Mission
Holland, MI
The main portion of this building was the residence of George N. Smith, a Congregational missionary to the Indians in this area and at...
Ebenezer Reformed Church
Fillmore Twp, MI
Members of the First Reformed Church in Holland founded this congregation in 1866 to provide a place of worship for settlers living...
Saugatuck Pump House
Saugatuck, MI
The village of Saugatuck built this structure in 1904 to house the community’s first water pumps.
The Second Street Bridge
Allegan, MI
This simply ornamented wrought iron bridge was built in 1886.
Michigan Paper Company Mill
Plainwell, MI
On January 26, 1886, twenty-five businessmen founded the Michigan Paper Company.
