Bluff Dale in Erath County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

The Bluff Dale Suspension Bridge

cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), December 22, 2016

1. The Bluff Dale Suspension Bridge Marker

Inscription. For at least 20 years vehicles had to ford the Paluxy River to reach Bluff Dale and points west. Wagon traffic increased after the Fort Worth & Rio Grande Railroad line reached the town in 1889. This iron bridge began to serve the public by spanning the Paluxy about 1891, on the main access road that became State Highway 10 and later U.S. 377. By 1933 arterial highway travel demanded a wider bridge. In 1934 authorities moved the "swinging" bridge 1.5 miles upstream where it serves local traffic.

Erected 1978 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 441.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. A significant historical year for this entry is 1891.

Location. 32° 21.203′ N, 98° 1.561′ W. Marker is in Bluff Dale, Texas, in Erath County. It is on County Road 149 0.1 miles north of U.S. 377, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bluff Dale TX 76433, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Comanchería,

the Republic of Texas,

and one of the Confederate States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Holt House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bluff Dale (approx. ¼ mile away); Bluff Dale United Methodist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); J. F. Warnock Hardware (approx. 0.3 miles away); Old Public Water Well (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Denny Cemetery (approx. 0.9 miles away); Wesley Chapel Cemetery (approx. 1.8 miles away); Glenn Cemetery (approx. 2 miles away). Touch for a list and map

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Regarding The Bluff Dale Suspension Bridge. It actually is a cable-stayed bridge, prompting the U.S. Department of the Interior to drop the word "suspension" from the bridge's listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. The bridge was closed to traffic in 1989 and replaced by a concrete bridge next to it.

Also see . . . Bluff Dale Bridge (PDF). National Register of Historic Places nomination file submitted in 1977 under the name "Bluff Dale Suspension Bridge." It was changed to "Bluff Dale Bridge" in 2016 to reflect the fact that it is not a suspension bridge but a cable-stayed one. (Texas Historical Commission) (Submitted on April 28, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

The Bluff Dale Suspension Bridge image. Click for full size.

cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), December 22, 2016

2. The Bluff Dale Suspension Bridge

Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, November 29, 2022

3. The Bluff Dale Suspension Bridge

Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, November 29, 2022

4. The Bluff Dale Suspension Bridge

The Bluff Dale Suspension Bridge and marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, September 6, 2026

5. The Bluff Dale Suspension Bridge and marker

Credits. This page was last revised on September 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,467 times since then and 316 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 28, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3, 4. submitted on November 29, 2022, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. 5. submitted on September 6, 2026, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas.