Legendary Dunn's Bridge

Legendary Dunn's Bridge. . , No question about it - Dunn's Bridge is steeped in history. But try to nail down the facts of that history, and questions start to fly. Most local historians agree that a farmer named J.D. Dunn built the bridge. The Kankakee river bisected his 1000 acres of farmland, and he needed a bridge to reach his fields., Beyond this basic story, however, the facts become murky. Some say Dunn built the bridge in the mid-1890s using steel beams from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Others will say it was built in 1904 with parts from the original Ferris Wheel, which premiered at the 1893 World's Fair and was demolished following the 1904 World's Fair. Metal tests suggest that the steel did, in fact, come from the same foundry that cast the Ferris Wheel., Whatever its origins, by the 1980s, the bridge had fallen into major disrepair. Porter County Parks and Recreation, which purchased the 180-foot long bridge and surrounding three acres in 1994, undertook the award winning restoration. The bridge is now listed on the National Register Of Historic Places., Enjoying the Kankakee River , Officially dedicated as a Porter County Park in 2005, Dunn's Bridge Park offers the only designated public access point to the Kankakee River in Porter County. In 2016, the 133 miles of the river became a designated National Water Trail with the help from the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association (NWIPA)., You can launch your boat here at Dunn's Bridge and Paddle or motor 6.6 miles west to Baum's Bridge. Or you can continue another 12 miles from there to Grand Kankakee Marsh County Park. Through channelization in the early 1900s straightened this once meandering river, you'll still find plenty of natural beauty along the way., Interested in fishing? At Dunn's Bridge Park, you can cast for walleye, bass, crappie, bluegill, and northern pike., [Captions:] , Dated 1904, this photo shows Dunn's Bridge under construction. During restoration in the late 1990s, workers replaced decking and stringers, restored abutments, and painted the arches., Kayakers and canoers prepare to paddle to Grand Kankakee Marsh County Park, which lies 18 miles west at the Sandhill Crane paddling event which takes place in the fall., Restoration of the bridge was extensive, but ensured the bridge landed a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.