Crossing the River

Crossing the River. . The northern end of town has long been identified with Jonathon Hulton, an early settler who arrived in 1845. The first train station on the Allegheny Valley Railroad was constructed on Hilton's property, and the small village that grew up around it was known as Hulton. The name changed to Oakmont when the borough was chartered in 1889. , The Hulton Family operated a ferry at the location where the Hulton Bridge now stands. A landmark in Oakmont since 1909, the bridge gained national recognition when it was painted lilac, earning it the nickname "the lavender link." The original bridge was replaced with a new structure in 2015., The Hulton Ferry transported people across the Allegheny River before the Hulton Bridge was built in 1908. , Named after Jonathon Hulton, the original Hulton Bridge scanned the Allegheny River from Harmarville to Oakmont. , The new Hulton Bridge replaced the 105-year-old bridge in 2015. It was designed to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians. , The Hulton Bridge in 1936. Bridge inspectors look for fractures in the steel; PennDOT decided to painted it lilac as pastel colors were discovered to increase the visibility of stress fractures. , Hulton portrait courtesy of Elva Hays. Rowboat courtesy of Oakmont Public Library. , Bridge photos courtesy of Allegheny County Department of Public Works.