Near Phelps City in Atchison County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Brownville Bridge

1939

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2021

1. Brownville Bridge Marker

Inscription. Federal Emergency
Administration of Public Works

Franklin D. Roosevelt
President of the United States

Harold L. Ickes
Administrator of Public Works

Erected 1939.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Bridges & Viaducts • Charity & Public Work. In addition, it is included in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1939.

Location. 40° 24.06′ N, 95° 38.891′ W. Marker is near Phelps City, Missouri, in Atchison County. It is on U.S. 136 1.8 miles west of State Highway D, on the right when traveling west. Marker is mounted directly on the on the east abutment of the subject bridge, facing US Highway 136 westbound traffic. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Rock Port MO 64482, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Missouri. It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds

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itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Nebraska House (approx. 0.4 miles away in Nebraska); Lewis and Clark Campsite (approx. half a mile away in Nebraska); Muir House (approx. half a mile away in Nebraska); The Large One-bottom Plow (approx. half a mile away in Nebraska); Co. C. 1st Reg. of Nebraska (approx. half a mile away in Nebraska); Brownville, Nebraska Historical Society Heritage Tree (approx. half a mile away in Nebraska); a different marker also named Brownville (approx. half a mile away in Nebraska); Late 1800's Road Grader (approx. half a mile away in Nebraska).

Regarding Brownville Bridge. National Register of Historic Places #93000536.

From the National Register nomination:
Construction on the structure began early in 1939, with the Bethlehem Steel Company fabricating and erecting the superstructure, the C.F. Lytle Company building the substructure, and the C.H. Atkinson Paving Company completing the earth embankments. The bridge was completed
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2021

2. Brownville Bridge Construction Marker
(mounted directly below Works Progress Administration Marker)
Constructed by
Atchison County, Missouri
under direction of the County Court
1938 ———————— 1939
Ray O. Richards • Presiding Judge • Carl M. Hunter
W. F. Marshall • Judge • D. J. Currie
Carl M. Hunter • Judge • Sam Graves
J. J. Wright • County Clerk • Loren W. Coe
———————
Attorneys
K.S. Finlayson, A. McKie, Jr., Henry B. Hunt, Lee Mullens
———————
Designed and Supervised by
Ash-Howard-Needles & Tammen
Consulting Engineers
———————
General Contractors
C. F. Lytle Company, Substructure
Bethlehem Steel Company, Superstructure
C. H. Atkinson Paving Company, Embankments
by October 1939. Total project cost: $708,878.54. The Missouri Highway Commission provided $50,000, and the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works provided a grant of $311,580. Atchison County issued bonds for the balance of the costs and operated the bridge as a toll crossing to repay its bondholders and cover maintenance expenses. Now a toll-free crossing.

Design: Cantilevered Warren through truss
Dimensions: Length of largest span: 419.8 ft. • Total length: 1,903.3 ft. • Deck width: 22.6 ft. • Vertical clearance above deck: 15.8 ft.
Recognition: Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on June 17, 1993

Also see . . . Brownville Bridge. Wikipedia entry:

The Brownville Bridge is a truss bridge over the Missouri River on U.S. Route 136 between Nemaha County, Nebraska, and Atchison County, Missouri. It was built in 1939 by Atchison County, at a cost of $700,000 and was originally run as a toll bridge. It has since been converted from a toll bridge to become a free crossing maintained by the Missouri Department of Transportation. The bridge was closed to all traffic for 216 consecutive days from March
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2021

3. Brownville Bridge Marker
(looking west along US Highway 136 • Brownville Bridge in background)
2019 to October 2019 as a result of the 2019 Midwestern U.S. floods' damage to the approaches.

(Submitted on February 20, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Brownville Bridge (<i>east ramp approach</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2021

4. Brownville Bridge (east ramp approach)

(marker visible on abutment at far left)

Brownville Bridge image. Click for more information.

via NPS, unknown

5. Brownville Bridge

National Register of Historic Places Nomination form
at NPGallery Digital Asset Management System
Click for more information.

Brownville Bridge & Missouri River image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2021

6. Brownville Bridge & Missouri River

Missouri River image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2021

7. Missouri River

(looking south from Brownville Bridge)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 20, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 839 times since then and 88 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 20, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 5. submitted on April 24, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 6, 7. submitted on February 20, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.