The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-25
Venerable Landmark of Pioneer
Days Will Succumb to
March Of Progress.
ANTIQUATED STRUCTURE
MARVEL OF GENIUS
Fine Modern Steel Bridge to
Take the Place of 0bsO-
lete Affair.

From the announcement that the old
white Bridge is soon 10 surrender
Its location to more modern success
sor, IT appears that another old land
mark is about TO succumb to the raw
ages Of the times. Tho old bridge,
which is here reproduced, spans the
Jordan river on West Temple street,
and is perhaps the most peculiar relic of
pioneer bridge building that has sur
vived in Utah until the present time.
But that is not all that makes this old
relic thing of unusual interest. for the
bridge spans the Jordan at a point
where the early settlers first crossed the
river and which in pioneer days was
looked upon as peculiarly strategic To-
cation
Shortly after Zion was founded the
pioneers, harassed, it is said, by the
Indians, sent out reconnolterng par
ties to explore the surrounding country.
One OF the parties crossed the river on
a direct line with what is now North
Temple street, and this was afterwards
found TO be one of the best fords along
the stream. Subsequently most of the
traffic during the high water season was
conducted at this point. 1t became so
popular that In the spring, when the
water was high, Ezra T. Benson, who
owned n farm nearby, operated ferry
boat here and thus added somewhat to
the revenue which he received from the
tilIage of his soil.
Afterwards, about the year 1851, a
pole bridge was built across the stream
and the ford at once hec anne obsolete.
The pole bridge was but ramshackle
affair. however, and ITS career of use
fulness was accordingly limited. In
1859 Mr.. Grow, n genius in architectural
work. was called upon to design an up
to-date bridge for this place. Suspen-
sion bridges were then becoming the
vogue, and the achItcct at once busted
himself with preparing plans for sim
gle-span structure. 1t might he men
toned incidentally that Mr.. Grow was
the chief architect who planned the
trnsscs for the roof of the Tabernacle,
and this accounts for the similarity in
the construction of the Two projects,
Brigham Goung's alleged plans for the
Tabernacle notwithstanding. Only n
short time prior to the removal of the
pole bridge an event occurred here
which I'LL fingers in the memory of the
old timers. Whether on account of an
anticipated attack by the Indians or
otherwise the Mormons maintained
sentry here and all who were permitted
TO pass were compelled to give the pass
word II is said that Lorenzo ID. Young
approached this spot one night and did
not succeed in disc losing his identity
to the guards. The sentries at once
opened fire and one OF the bullets took
effect in Mr. Young's shoulder. IT is
said that the guards mistook him for au
Indian.
Mr. Grow g design was executed with
out the use OF nails or bolts. Iron was
considered a luxury at that time and
wooden pegs were made to answer The
purpose of some of the modern build
ing essentials. According to report, not
a nail or bolt was used in construct
ing the bridge. When the structure
was built 1t was arched so that the
floor resembled the segment of n circle.
The heavily braced superstructure, it
was thought, would easily support the
weight of tho bridge, but as the tim
bers weakened the entire woodwork
warped and the floor settled TO level.
Wooden piles were then utilized and in
this way the bridge was made to do
come diseased from exposure to the
weather The name "White Bridge"
was derived from the fact that the
structure was whitewashed at frequent
intervals during its period of useful
ness, City Engineer Kelsey is now pre-
pairing plans and estimates for a mod
ern bridge, to take the place of the OBJ
solete affair, and it is said that the
change will be made some time this