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Bridges
Sept 23, 2004 6:15:00 GMT -6
Post by John on Sept 23, 2004 6:15:00 GMT -6
Bridges are fascinating structures. There were numerous little one lane steel girder bridges with wooden plank decks around the Streator area that spanned small creeks on gravel roads. Every Sunday, when I was a child, our family would go for a ride in the country. Somewhere in the area I remember us crossing an old steel bridge with wooden planks that made about a 60 degree turn halfway across. You had to stay in the middle to keep your tires on the planks. I cannot remember where this bridge was. I'm sure it is long gone, but does anyone else remember a bridge like this around here? I remember that it was a wooded area. I would like to return to this place and see what's there now.
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Bridges
Sept 23, 2004 6:45:02 GMT -6
Post by toshiko on Sept 23, 2004 6:45:02 GMT -6
My dad and I would walk the tracks to Kangley. The tresltes(sp) scared the u know what out of me. Especially the first one behind the sewage plant. by the time we got to Kangley the last on had steal inbetween the RR ties. I think that is why I am afraid of bridges to this day. As far as the wooden plank bridge, it does ring a bell but no light bulb off as to where it is. I crossed on of those one time in Minn. It had train tracks on the top of it and 2 small wooden planks. A little scary tp say the least.
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Bridges
Sept 23, 2004 20:15:16 GMT -6
Post by John on Sept 23, 2004 20:15:16 GMT -6
A picture of the old Ottawa bridge still in use as the new one was being built. I took this photo on May 31, 1980.
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Bridges
Sept 25, 2004 8:21:37 GMT -6
Post by John on Sept 25, 2004 8:21:37 GMT -6
This is the old CB&Q bridge that crossed the Vermilion River just north of the sewage treatment plant.
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Bridges
Sept 25, 2004 8:46:06 GMT -6
Post by toshiko on Sept 25, 2004 8:46:06 GMT -6
Thanx, Butch. I do not remember it covered, tho. Are u facing west taking the pix? Trying to get my bearings. We used to have to climb down on the cement pillars when we heard a train coming. Talk about darn scary. Especially in early Spring when the river was swollen and running. thanx again for all these old pix. A lifetime of memories for us.
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Bridges
Sept 25, 2004 11:52:50 GMT -6
Post by John on Sept 25, 2004 11:52:50 GMT -6
Well toshiko, that photo was taken in June of 1927. The cover was removed in the early 30s. This view is to the west.
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Bridges
Sept 26, 2004 12:36:44 GMT -6
Post by DumDave on Sept 26, 2004 12:36:44 GMT -6
I think that the bridge that you were asking about was the old Kangley bridge just North of that town & next to the old rendering works. It was one way & had a "dogleg" in the middle. (My Map of Illinios shows it to be called route 29. I grew up calling it Kangley road.) - Dave
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Bridges
Sept 26, 2004 18:51:42 GMT -6
Post by John on Sept 26, 2004 18:51:42 GMT -6
Another neat old bridge was the one at the west end of Moon Creek Road. I don't know if it is still there or not but Moon Creek Road is now marked as a dead end (no pun intended). I tried following it through one day but ended up in some farmer's field.
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Bridges
Sept 27, 2004 5:01:50 GMT -6
Post by Blue Star7 on Sept 27, 2004 5:01:50 GMT -6
Oh the memories from that bridge! We used to go there and skinny dip, (well down to under wear was as far as us gals would go) I remember one hot summer night, a couple of carloads of us went out there. There used to be a big rope tied fom a tree limb there, to swing off into the water. It was a full moon, plenty of light, then a lightning storm started in the west. It was sooo cool!
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Bridges
Sept 27, 2004 5:06:06 GMT -6
Post by BlueStar7 on Sept 27, 2004 5:06:06 GMT -6
BYW, thanks for the great pictures Butch!
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Bridges
Sept 29, 2004 8:07:41 GMT -6
Post by DumDave on Sept 29, 2004 8:07:41 GMT -6
Blue Star We used to go & drive off on this dirt road out by Sandy Ford Bridge. It would eventually dead-end @ the river in a clearing just north of the bridge. We used to drink beer, tell lies, BBQ & it had a rope that we could use to swing out over the river to swim.
A Dave Story:. Around 1970, I was visiting a (former SHS grad.) friend in Pensacola, Fla. We went out to this railroad bridge where abut two dozen folks were jumping off the bridge into a river. There was only one place to safely jump & it was marked by a bit of carpet nailed to a R.R. tie. The train came, I was frozen on the middle of the bridge,too scared to jump. Well that train convinced me! -Dave -Dave
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Bridges
Sept 29, 2004 9:29:55 GMT -6
Post by Blue star7 on Sept 29, 2004 9:29:55 GMT -6
There was also a place North and a little east of (on Apple's property, I believe) Manville, off a small RR Trestle that we used to swim at too, I was a lot younger and not old enough to drive. Mom used to get sooo mad at us, coming home in muddied shorts and tops, but it was the only place we could cool off, unless an older brother or sister took us with them to the Manville Bridge.
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Bridges
Sept 30, 2004 20:44:22 GMT -6
Post by John on Sept 30, 2004 20:44:22 GMT -6
Did anyone else used to cross the Three I trestle underneath the trackbed on the wooden planks?
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Post by John on Oct 1, 2004 6:16:07 GMT -6
The old Bridge St. bridge over the Vermilion used to make a turn. When they put in the "new" bridge, they straightened the roadway to its present path.
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Bridges
Oct 1, 2004 14:56:05 GMT -6
Post by Blue Star7 on Oct 1, 2004 14:56:05 GMT -6
Tiger Cross underneath the trestles?? NOOO it took all the guts I had just to go across on top! I only remember crossing over 3 of them. The ones out south of town, near the overpass, over the creek on Apples property, near Manville and the first one I crossed was behind Safarchick's gas station on Illinois St., just east of Oakland Park School and south of Lundy St.
Dum Dave I heard about that place a lot, but was never there. It was called the red white and blue bridge wasn't it? I've heard people still mention going there, mostly fishermen, but I'm sure some young adventurers too. I guess it depended upon what part of town you grew up in, availability of a car and who was driving at the time. Those were great times though weren't they? Too bad kids don't have these kind of memories now.
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