Bridge History: July 3 1886 to March 1 1923

The following are articles from local newspapers that can be found at the Public Library. These articles were gathered together by Jim Phillips, a native of Pulaski County. Jim manages a Facebook page, “Stalking My Hometown.” Find that page here.

Pulaski County Democrat Jul 3 1886, Microfilm: The work on the new iron bridge across the river at this place was completed on Wednesday. All the crossing of the river during the repairs was at the foot of Pearl street.

Pulaski County Democrat Aug 5, 1892, Microfilm: The foot bridge across the river to the park was put up last week. The sand in the river bottom caused the walk to settle unevenly and it was moved the first of the week to more solid bottom a little up stream.

Pulaski County Democrat May 12 1899, Microfilm: J.C. Nye is enclosing four acres of the park with a fence to exclude cattle. Inside the enclosure the grass will be kept down with a one-horse lawn mower. Incandescent sparks will light the building and grounds, city water will be piped there, and entrance will be by a foot bridge across the river east of the artesian well.

Pulaski County Democrat May 25 1922, Microfilm: Improvements intended to render the Winamac Park of more service to the public are planned by the Park Association which owns the wooded peninsula just across the river. It has already been arranged that the foot bridge across the river from a point near the artesian well will be kept in place throughout the season. Other plans include installation of playground equipment, dressing rooms at the bathing places, seats, swings and similar features.

Pulaski County Democrat Jun 15 1922, Microfilm: Purchase by the town of the small park just east of the artesian well was arranged at a special meeting of the town council Tuesday evening, and it will be used as a camping site for tourists.

Winamac Republican Jun 15 1922, Microfilm:

Town Buys Park – At a special meeting of the town board Monday night plans were made for the purchase of the park near the artesian well from the present owner, J.C. Nye. The Kiwanis Club this week appointed a committee composed of C.C. Blinn, C.H. Barnett and F.E. Keller to secure suitable equipment to make the park a first class tourist camp.

Winamac Republican Mar 1 1923 1. Microfilm: New Foot-Bridge To Span River

Proposal Advanced by Park Association to Secure Steel Suspension Bridge to River Park – A meeting of the stockholders of the Winamac Park Association will be held at the offices of Reidelbach Bros., tonight, to discuss, among other things, possible plans for the construction of a permanent suspension foot-bridge over the Tippecanoe river to connect the artesian well park with the river park.

Plans and estimates have been prepared by Herbert Nutt, an engineer, of Indianapolis, and former Harrison township resident, and these plans will be open to inspection to those at the meeting tonight.

Mr. Nutt estimates that a steel suspension bridge will not cost far in excess of $2,000. An effort will be made to interest the town in going in with the park association on a fifty-fifty basis in the construction of a permanent bridge. The bridge would extend from the town park to the association park, connecting the two, at about the same place used last season, a park official states.

The park association has adopted the policy of expending all receipts from the park, except a nominal dividend, for further improvements and the permanent bridge idea has been one of the goals looked forward to for several years past.

If the bridge plan is carried out, it will probably be of steel cable suspension type, with solid abutments on both banks of the river.