Bridging the River at Danville

Bridging the River at Danville. . , Until 1829 when a covered toll bridge was built across the river between Danville and Riverside (South Danville), travelers relied mainly upon ferry boats to reach the opposite shore. Unfortunately, floods and ice jams have taken their own toll on Danville's bridges over the years., That first wooden bridge was destroyed in a flood in 1846. A second bridge was erected the following year and was lost to a flood in 1875. Below is a photo of the remains of the third bridge that was destroyed in the spring of 1904., The large background photo shown here is of the fourth bridge made of iron and steel. Located at the east end of the park where you are currently standing was the landing for the fourth bridge, which was a local landmark and gathering place. It was a source of community pride and withstood many floods for nearly a century, finally being replaced in 2000 by the concrete bridge just one block down river from this location., The historic lampposts you see here in the park today were manufactured at Danville Foundry and Machine Company and originally placed in Memorial Park on Bloom Street in 1909. They were rescued by Paul "Cal" McVey, a local merchant, when removed from that park in the 1950s. They were donated in 2007 for the development of the new River Front Park by his daughter and son-in-law JoAnn and Bill O'Brien. Metso Minerals, a descendant of Danville Foundry and Machine Company, financed the re-furbishing of the lampposts.