We have had to subtract a bridge from our list of the 20+ stone arch bridges of Butler County, Kansas. The 1910 Whitewater River Bridge on NW 160th Road is no longer in existence.
The 1910 Whitewater River Bridge was replaced as part of a reconstruction project that began in 2020 and was recently completed. This old bridge was built by C. C. Jamison during the pinnacle years of Butler County stone arch bridge building under county engineer Charles Buskirk. Unlike most of the bridges from this era, the 1910 Whitewater River Bridge had not handled the test of time very well. The old stone bridge was admittedly in a deteriorated state, which can be seen in the photo above of the downstream side of the bridge. On the upstream side of the bridge, a significant portion of the spandrel wall had been replaced with an interesting assortment of building materials. That said, it is still a little hard and a little sad to see a veteran of over a century go.
Further Possible Stone Arch Bridge Reconstructions in Butler County
There are or were three other stone arch bridges scheduled to be reconstructed according to the county project map which showed the reconstruction of the NW160th Whitewater River Bridge. This map can be found at https://www.bucoks.com/DocumentCenter/View/366/2021-2025-Bridge-Project-Map-Bu-Co-Adopted. The three bridges in question are the 1899 Fourmile Creek Bridge near Andover on SW Tawakoni Road, the 1912 Hill Bridge over Dry Creek on SW Diamond Road near Augusta, and the 1910 Henry Creek Bridge on NW 130th Street.
Conclusion
It is important to mention here that Butler County, Kansas, has been doing extensive and excellent repair work on the county’s stone arch bridges. Numerous examples of this can be seen across the county. An excellent example of such work is the restoration of the well-known Polecat Creek Bridge near Douglass. This bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was extensively battered by flooding, yet the county did incredible work on it. This bridge was (and still is) a favorite with people who live near it. It is wonderful to see how thoroughly the county repaired it despite its problems. With salvaged displaced stones and new ones that were cut to replace lost originals, the Polecat Creek Bridge still remains remarkably true to its original form. Nor is the Polecat Creek Bridge the only Butler County stone bridge to receive special attention. On less-historic stone bridges, it is not uncommon to see a reconstructed stone curbing along the road, which helps keep the quaint appearance of the bridge, even if sections of it were replaced with concrete. Also, even after all these years, the 1902 Ellis Bridge is still in use, carrying a two-lane blacktop with the aid of a cantilevered slab. The modest 1901 Gillion Creek Bridge by Abe Matheney, located on a scantily used road, was recently threatened by a complete obstruction of logs. These logs are no longer in evidence. Also, the 1899 Dry Creek Bridge by Walter Sharp has been renovated and is now in good operational condition. The main modifications to this old bridge was done by adding additional stonework, and was excellently carried out.
It is always sad to see another stone arch bridge lost in the dust of history, yet it is worth pointing out that Butler County, obviously, does not make a rule of removing its stone bridges. The county has done a commendable job in keeping these scenic structures on the road as much as is practical and consistent with safety, and has even spent extra effort on those bridges that are favorites in the local community.
Additional resource: Index of the Stone Arch Bridges of Butler County, Kansas
Stone Arch Bridges 