Old Appleton Bridge - December 2017 - No. 3
With a population of 85, the village of Old Appleton and its namesake bridge straddles Apple Creek, connecting Cape Girardeau County with Perry County, Missouri. The original French name for the creek was "Riviere à la Pomme" (apple river), named from the apple trees that had once grown there. The Old Appleton Bridge, built in 1879 by H.W. Sebastian & Co. of St. Louis, is one of the oldest bridges in Southeast Missouri, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1824, a mill was built on the northern bank of Apple Creek by Alfred McLane. Flood levels were exacerbated by the building of a mill dam that caused waters in the creek to rise and thus creating a necessity for a bridge. The creek was unnavigable at least twice a week and was negatively affecting the trade between Cape Girardeau and Perry Counties.
The three-span wrought-iron truss bridge used to carry Highway 25 across Apple Creek, but is now relegated to pedestrian traffic. The total length of the bridge is 161 feet. The piers are constructed out of limestone block masonry that was quarried locally from the Appleton Quarry.
In December of 1982, Apple Creek rose more than fifteen feet during heavy rains and the bridge washed away, leaving one end of the bridge resting on a gravel bar and the other on the north bank. In March of 1983, a crew worked to salvage the bridge by cutting it into pieces and labeling each piece. It took 25 years for the residents of Old Appleton to raise enough money to restore the bridge. In 2005 it was restored using 98% of its original parts. At that time, concrete piers were added to raise the bridge over the 1982 flood level. The high quality of wrought iron that was used to build the original bridge was one of the main reasons why it survived the 1982 flood. The cost of replacing the bridge was $519,000, with 20% coming from private donations and 80% from the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Although the mill (known as McLane Mill) survived the 1982 flood, a flash flood on May 16, 1986 destroyed the old mill, and it was not rebuilt. Remnants of the old mill can still be seen on the north bank of Apple Creek, the interior of which can be seen in one of these photos.
© All rights reserved - - No Usage Allowed in Any Form Without the Written Consent of the photographer, Mark S. Schuver.
The best way to view my photostream is on Flickriver: Nikon66's photos on Flickriver
Old Appleton Bridge - December 2017 - No. 3
With a population of 85, the village of Old Appleton and its namesake bridge straddles Apple Creek, connecting Cape Girardeau County with Perry County, Missouri. The original French name for the creek was "Riviere à la Pomme" (apple river), named from the apple trees that had once grown there. The Old Appleton Bridge, built in 1879 by H.W. Sebastian & Co. of St. Louis, is one of the oldest bridges in Southeast Missouri, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1824, a mill was built on the northern bank of Apple Creek by Alfred McLane. Flood levels were exacerbated by the building of a mill dam that caused waters in the creek to rise and thus creating a necessity for a bridge. The creek was unnavigable at least twice a week and was negatively affecting the trade between Cape Girardeau and Perry Counties.
The three-span wrought-iron truss bridge used to carry Highway 25 across Apple Creek, but is now relegated to pedestrian traffic. The total length of the bridge is 161 feet. The piers are constructed out of limestone block masonry that was quarried locally from the Appleton Quarry.
In December of 1982, Apple Creek rose more than fifteen feet during heavy rains and the bridge washed away, leaving one end of the bridge resting on a gravel bar and the other on the north bank. In March of 1983, a crew worked to salvage the bridge by cutting it into pieces and labeling each piece. It took 25 years for the residents of Old Appleton to raise enough money to restore the bridge. In 2005 it was restored using 98% of its original parts. At that time, concrete piers were added to raise the bridge over the 1982 flood level. The high quality of wrought iron that was used to build the original bridge was one of the main reasons why it survived the 1982 flood. The cost of replacing the bridge was $519,000, with 20% coming from private donations and 80% from the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Although the mill (known as McLane Mill) survived the 1982 flood, a flash flood on May 16, 1986 destroyed the old mill, and it was not rebuilt. Remnants of the old mill can still be seen on the north bank of Apple Creek, the interior of which can be seen in one of these photos.
© All rights reserved - - No Usage Allowed in Any Form Without the Written Consent of the photographer, Mark S. Schuver.
The best way to view my photostream is on Flickriver: Nikon66's photos on Flickriver