Eva in Benton County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
The Tennessee River Railroad Bridge
"In those days, that was how you got over there; there was no highway”
-Ken Ingram
The track leading to the Tennessee River Railroad Bridge once started here. The nearby depot served as the debarkation point for passengers and freight. Once at the edge of the river, the bridge connected the towns of Eva and Johnsonville on the Opposite bank.
The Tennessee River still functioned as an important avenue for trade. To let shipping through, builders placed a swinging span on the bridge.
The Nashville Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad constructed the bridge in 1867. This section of rail spanned the Tennessee River until 1945. In that year, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad abandoned this section of track.
From here it moved its operations upstream crossing at New Johnsonville. You can see this new bridge running parallel to US highway 70.
[Captions:]
The creation of the Kentucky Lake with the closure of the gates on the Gilbertsville Dam in 1944 forced the Louisville and Nashville Railroad to relocate its tracks 10 miles upstream.
A 1915 accident on the line destroyed a section of the bridge. It occurred when a steam shovel failed to clear the support structure for the bridge.
Erected by Tennessee State Parks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1867.
Location. 36° 3.642′ N, 87° 59.831′ W. Marker is in Eva, Tennessee, in Benton County. Marker can be reached from Eva Beach Drive, 0.2 miles east of Lucas Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Eva TN 38333, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Railroads, A Force for Development (here, next to this marker); Eva, A Community of the Western Banks of the Tennessee River (here, next to this marker); Eva Archaic Site (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bombarding Johnsonville (about 800 feet away); Winfrey Cemetery (approx. 1.7 miles away); Lower Redoubt (approx. 1.7 miles away); The Tennessee River in the Civil War (approx. 1.7 miles away); The Union Supply Depot (approx. 1.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Eva.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2021. It was originally submitted on October 11, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 408 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 11, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.