Champ Clark Bridge
The Champ Clark Bridge was opened in 1928 and connected Louisiana, Missouri with the state of Illinois over the Mississippi River. The Louisiana and Pittsfield Chambers of Commerce agreed on the need for this bridge. This five-span Baltimore through truss bridge carried two lanes of traffic on US. Route 54. The deck carried two 10 foot lanes with no shoulders, and a vertical clearance of 14.7 feet. The Champ Clark Bridge was named after James Beauchamp Clark from Bowling Green, Missouri who was the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives between 1911 and 1919. The Champ Clark Bridge was adopted into the state highway system in 1953. To pay for the construction of the bridge, a toll booth was installed on the west end of the bridge. It operated from the opening in June 1928 until bonds were retired in 1953. Over the 90 years that this beautiful bridge was in use, hundreds of thousands of people have crossed over this symbolic connection between Illinois and Missouri. But more than just bridging the gap between two states, the monument linked generations bringing together the two Pike counties, and joining the commerce of our two great states. Despite its historical significance, this bridge will just as easily be remembered for being notoriously narrow. Anyone who drove the bridge, dreaded meeting an oncoming truck.
Erected
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1928.
Location. 39° 27.228′ N, 91° 2.947′ W. Marker is in Louisiana, Missouri, in Pike County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street and Jackson Street, on the right when traveling north on Main Street. Marker is in Riverview/Henderson Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Louisiana MO 63353, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Henderson Park (here, next to this marker); John Brooks Henderson (within shouting distance of this marker); "Miss Lucille's Garden" (approx. ¼ mile away); Louisiana Public Library (approx. ¼ mile away); Floods of 1973 and 1993 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Louisiana (approx. 2.3 miles away); Welcome to Illinois (approx. 2.7 miles away in Illinois); Oldest Building in Pike County (approx. 5.9 miles away in Illinois). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Louisiana.
Also see . . .
1. No. 5 Bridge: Champ Clark Bridge Over the Mississippi River (U.S. Hwy 54). Road & Bridges website entry (Submitted on September 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Old Champ Clark Bridge demolished (FOX 2, 2019). YouTube video (2m 26s) (Submitted on September 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 14, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 214 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 4. submitted on April 14, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.
