Crossing the St. Francis River at Old Greenville

Crossing the St. Francis River at Old Greenville. . , During the 19th century, travelers passing through Old Greenville had an important decision to make. How would they get across the St. Francis River? There was no bridge crossing the river required use of either the ferry or the ford. , The firm gravel river bottom and wide shallow channel allowed travelers to safely use the ford for much of the year, However, during periods of high water and cold weather, fording the St. Francis River at Old Greenville was both impractical and dangerous. , Cost was a factor for many travelers. The ford was free, but for a traveler on foot, the ferry cost an hours wages and for a four-horse team and wagon, the fare was an entire day's pay. Those who were unable to pay for the ferry could either turn back, wait for the river to fall, or risk their lives in the current. , The earliest description of the river crossing was recorded by Henry R. Schoolcraft. In 1821, he published a journal describing his travels through the Ozarks in 1818-1819. On January 28, 1819, when Schoolcraft arrived on the opposite shore, rather than wade across the river, he chose to employ the ferry. However, he lacked the coins to pay the exact 10-cent fare and found that the slave operating the ferryboat had no change. In his journal, Schoolcraft noted that the ferryman solved their problem at a nearby oak stump "according to the Kentucky mode," where an ax was used to cut a 10-cent slice of silver from one of his half-dollar coins. , The bridge was built here in 1892 for the WG&StL Railway. In 1899, that bridge collapsed beneath a log train. Wayne County contributed $750 to help the railroad build a replacement structure with a dual-use bridge deck that also allowed use by foot and wagon traffic. By 1908, that wooden 100' Howe truss bridge had deteriorated and public outcry compelled the railroad to replace it. The railroad acquired a used steel bridge (A) and set it on new concrete piers. That relocated steel Pratt truss railway bridge opened in 1909. , The railroad steel bridge was not designed for dual use. So in 1911, the county contracted with Stupp Bros. Bridge and Iron co. of St.Louis for a separate county road bridge (B) remained in use until 1930. It was replaced by the State Highway Department who acquired the railroad's then abandoned steel bridge. The Highway Department widened that old steel truss by six feet and built new concrete approach spans and new road deck, converting the railway bridge for use by U. S. Highway 67 (C). , The modified 20'-wide former railroad bridge (C), carried Route 67 over the St. Francis River from 1930 until 1941. In 1941, when a replacement at higher elevation became necessary, due to construction of the Wappapello Dam 20 mi9les downstream, a new bridge with a 170' Warren through truss main span was built (D). It remained in service for 70 years. The 1941 bridge was demolished in 2011, after completion of the current four-lane Route 67 Expressway Bridge (E).