History – Page 3 – Stone Arch Bridges

Kansas’s Stone Arch Bridge Tradition — Part 1

Using the state’s abundant native stone, Kansas built many stone arch bridges as an enduring and affordable means of bridging the streams.

At the end of the unparalleled stone arch bridge and culvert campaign of Butler County, Kansas, hundreds of such structures had been built.

The success of Butler County, Kansas in building stone arch bridges influenced other counties across the state as well as builders like Walter Sharp.

After a persistent and unified push by the local newspapers, Butler County began to build stone arch bridges and culverts.

To create jobs in the Great Depression, the WPA erected numerous well-built stone arch bridges which have a unique style and history of their own.

Before Cowley County, Kansas began building its famous stone arch bridges in earnest, the city of Winfield built one at the entrance of Island Park.

The double arch Neer Bridge near Cambridge in Cowley County, Kansas, was built to replace a prior stone bridge built just years before.

Some of the stone arch bridges of Cowley County, Kansas have elusive plaques, which tell an interesting story about the structure.

We have released a detailed account of the unique history of Pudden Bridge, the famous triple-arch stone bridge near Dexter, Cowley County, Kansas.

While Cowley County neither was the first nor the most prolific stone arch building region in Kansas, it’s famous for its massive stone arch bridges.