Ron Reiff
Every community has its share of landmarks, both natural and manmade. One hundred fifty years ago, Warren looked a great deal different.
As far back as 1839 developers considered the Southside of the river a potential growth area. That year, at the foot of Hazel street, a covered bridge was constructed. The all-wood structure fell into disrepair within the first 20 years. At one point even pedestrians hesitated to use it. After all, the only thing on that side of the river was the Oakland Cemetery.
With the covered bridge lying on the bottom of the river, in the 1850s through the 1860s a few rope contraptions spanning the Allegheny were attempted. Developers were salivating. The south side of the river was full of timber, oil, and thanks to Thomas Struthers, the railroad hit the town in 1858.
Town fathers faced increasing pressure to connect both sides of the river. Warren was halfway to its full potential. An aggressive contractor-developer from New York State promised he’d solve the problem in just one year.
By January of 1870 plans were presented. By the spring of 1871 construction of a landmark began. In the fall of 1871, it was done! Warren had its very own suspension bridge.
Financing was a challenge, from 1871 to about 1896 everybody paid a toll to cross. Historians say that pedestrians paid a penny and teams of horses paid anywhere from 2 cents to a whole nickel to use the bridge. The bridge was a beauty. The all-white structure dominated the area.
Sometimes progress and beauty collide head-on. In the case of the bridge that’s what happened. By 1910, Warren needed bigger and better. In 1915 a concrete and steel bridge with supporting piers was on the drawing board. Construction of the new state-of-the-art Hickory Street bridge began in earnest in 1916. When the fall of 1918 arrived, the new bridge was in place. Remnants of the suspension bridge lay beside it.
For decades the bridge did its job. Recreational boaters were the ones who spotted the decay going on. Planners were brought in and by 1999 a faithful reproduction of the 1918 version of the bridge was in the works.
Today, the Veterans’ Memorial Bridge offers a few things the old one didn’t. I particularly like the pedestrian overlooks and the detail on the sides.
May this one last another 100 years or so.
