Stone Arch Bridges of Butler County, Kansas

For the aid of those who would like to view the numerous scenic stone arch bridges of Butler County, Kansas, we have compiled a list and map of the known stone arch bridges and culverts in the county. The bridges are shown on the map with the aid of a number. For aid in reference, on the list below the number we used to depict a given bridge on the map will be clearly stated.

Though not as well known as the Cowley County, Kansas, stone arch bridges, Cowley’s neighbor to the north, Butler County, has 30+ stone arch bridges and culverts in existence today. Butler County, Kansas, was a pioneer county in stone arch bridge building in southern Kansas, influencing other counties, including Cowley, to follow suit. Spearheaded by the townships, which built hundreds of stone bridges and culverts, the county’s successful stone bridge building campaign prompted newspapers of the time to say:

“Butler County, Kansas, is in the lead in stone arch bridges and culverts and in years to come in this respect its fame will go abroad. The county will have nothing else.”

From the Leon Indicator, quoting the Kansas City Star, December 7, 1905.

Note: Please no trespassing. To the best of our knowledge, the bridges on the list below and the map above are all on public roads; in case of any questions or problems feel free to contact us. Bridges difficult to photograph can be photographed with the aid of a “selfie stick.” This list is updated as more bridges turn up.

A List of the Existing Stone Arch Bridges On the Roads of Butler County, Kansas

This list, which can be used in conjunction with the map above, is composed of the known existing stone arch bridges of Butler County, Kansas built originally for public use, and is organized with headings for county and township bridges. Where possible, we called the bridge by its original name.

Ellis Bridge

  • Where: On NE 110th Street where the road crosses the Walnut River, south and west of Cassoday.
  • When: Construction of the original portion began in 1901 and was completed in 1902; bridge received its second full-sized arch in 1906, thereby achieving its final form (minus the cantilevered slab top).
  • Builders: Walter Sharp built original section of the bridge. Abe Matheney put the bridge into its final form (minus the cantilevered slab top).
  • Spans: Two 36′.
  • Further Resources: Cassoday’s Double Arch Walnut River Bridge.
  • Map Number: 1.
NE 110th Street Double Arch Walnut River bridge
Ellis Bridge over Walnut River on NE 110th Street.

 SW 60th Street Turkey Creek Bridge

  • Where: Spans Turkey Creek on SW 60th Street, south of El Dorado.
  • When: 1913.
  • Built By: C. C. Jamison.
  • Spans: One 30′, one 20′.
  • Further Resources: C. C. Jamison’s 1913 Turkey Creek Bridge.
  • Map Number: 2.
Turkey Creek Bridge
SW 60th Turkey Creek Bridge.

 Diller Bridge

Dillers Bridge
Diller Bridge over Walnut River on NE Price Road.

 Minos West Ford Bridge

Minos West Ford Bridge
Minos West Ford Bridge over Hickory Creek on SE Ellis Road.

 Cedar Ford Bridge

  • Where: On SE Pickrell Road a few feet north of where it crosses Rock Creek. Though this bridge originally spanned Rock Creek, it now carries the road over an overflow channel. The long south approach of the stone bridge joins the 1917 concrete bridge which spans the actual creek.
  • When: 1908.
  • Built By: C. C. Jamison.
  • Span: One 40′.
  • Further Resources: The Cedar Ford Bridge.
  • Map Number: 5.
Rock Creek Overflow Bridge
Cedar Ford Bridge near Rock Creek on SE Pickrell Road.

 NW 130th Street Henry Creek Bridge

  • Where: On NW 130th Street, where the road crosses Henry Creek, north of Potwin.
  • When: 1910.
  • Built By: C. C. Jamison.
  • Span: One 40′.
  • Map Number: 6.
Henry Creek Bridge
NW 130th Street Henry Creek Bridge.

SE Satchell Creek Road Rock Creek Bridge

Rock Creek Bridge
SE Satchell Creek Road Rock Creek Bridge.

Hill Bridge

Hill Bridge
Hill Bridge over Dry Creek on SW Diamond Road.

Sycamore Springs Bridge

  • Where: On NE 140th Street where the road crosses the Walnut River, west of Cassoday.
  • When: Construction began in 1899.
  • Built By: Abe Matheney.
  • Span: One 36′.
  • Map Number: 9.
Abe Matheney's 1899 Walnut River Bridge
Sycamore Springs Bridge over Walnut River on NE 140th Street

SW Tawakoni Road Fourmile Creek Bridge

  • Where: On SW Tawakoni Road where it crosses Fourmile Creek, near Andover.
  • When: 1899.
  • Built By: Abe Matheney.
  • Span 36′.
  • Map Number: 10.
Fourmile Creek Bridge
SW Tawakoni Road Four Mile Creek Bridge.

NW 160th Street May Branch Whitewater River Bridge

  • Where: Spans the May Branch of the Whitewater River on NW 160th Street, in Clifford Township.
  • When: 1906.
  • Built By: C. C. Jamison.
  • Span: One 36′.
  • Map Number: 11.
1910 May Branch Whitewater River Bridge
NW 160th Street May Branch Whitewater River Bridge.

Wilson Bridge

1899 Dry Creek Bridge
Wilson Bridge.

Walz Ford Bridge

  • Where: Just south of the Rock Creek crossing on SE Bluestem Road, in Clay Township. Though the bridge once spanned the creek, it now carries the road over dry land.
  • When: Construction began in 1899; bridge was accepted in 1900.
  • Built By: Walter Sharp.
  • Spans: Two 18′.
  • Further Resources: The Walz Ford Bridge, 4 Lesser-Known Stone Bridges of Kansas.
  • Map Number: 13.
Walz Ford Bridge
Walz Ford Bridge near Rock Creek on SE Bluestem Road.

Liggett Ford Bridge

  • Where: Spans Harrison Creek on SE Price Road, east of El Dorado Lake.
  • When: 1903.
  • Built By: C. C. Jamison.
  • Span: One 30′.
  • Map Number: 14.
Harrison Creek Bridge
Liggett Ford Bridge over Harrison Creek on SE Price Road.

Grant Bridge

  • Where: Spanning Satchel Creek on NE Grant Road, east of El Dorado Lake.
  • When: Completed in 1914.
  • Built By: C. C. Jamison.
  • Span: One 30′.
  • Further Resources: The Grant Bridge.
  • Map Number: 15.
Satchel Creek Bridge
Grant Bridge over Satchel Creek on NE Grant Road.

SW Walnut Valley Road Cave Spring Branch Turkey Creek Bridge

  • Where: Spanning Cave Spring Branch of Turkey Creek on SW Walnut Valley Road, south of El Dorado.
  • When: 1910.
  • Built By: C. C. Jamison.
  • Span: One 30′.
  • Map Number: 16.
Cave Spring Branch Bridge
SW Walnut Valley Road Cave Spring Branch Turkey Creek Bridge.

Nuttle Turkey Creek Bridge

  • Where: Spans Turkey Creek on SW 70th Street, near El Dorado.
  • When: 1897.
  • Built By: Abe Matheney.
  • Further Resources: The 1897 Turkey Creek Bridge.
  • Span: One 25′.
  • Map Number: 17.
Abe Matheney's 1897 Turkey Creek Bridge
SW 70th Street Turkey Creek Bridge.

SW 230th Street Polecat Creek Bridge

  • Where: Spans Polecat Creek on SW 230th Street, south of Rose Hill.
  • When: 1901.
  • Built By: C. C. Jamison.
  • Span: One 24′.
  • Further Resources: The Polecat Creek Bridge.
  • Map Number: 18.
Polecat Creek Bridge
SW 230th Street Polecat Creek Bridge.

 SW Santa Fe Lake Road Gillion Creek Bridge

  • Where: Spans Gillion Creek (Fourmile Creek) on SW Santa Fe Lake Road, south of Potwin.
  • When: 1901.
  • Built By: Abe Matheney.
  • Span: One 22′.
  • Map Number: 19.
Gillion Creek Bridge
SW Santa Fe Lake Road Gillion Creek Bridge.

Thomas Jefferson Smith Ford Bridge

  • Where: Where SE Summit Road spans the north branch of Hickory Creek, southwest of Beaumont.
  • When: 1906.
  • Built By: Abe Matheney.
  • Span: One 20′.
  • Map Number: 20.
North Branch Hickory Creek Bridge
Thomas Jefferson Smith Ford Bridge over Hickory Creek on SE Summit Road.

Section 9 Rosalia Township Culvert

Rosalia Township Culvert
Section 9 Rosalia Township Culvert

NW 115th Street Whitewater River Bridge

115th Whitewater River Bridge
NW 115th Street Whitewater River Bridge.

Augusta Township SW Diamond Road Culvert

  • Where: Carries SW Diamond Road over a small channel near Augusta. The culvert is located roughly halfway between Diamond Road’s intersection with SW 60th Street and Diamond Road’s intersection with SW 70th Street.
  • Note: This culvert has been widened with a cement arch culvert on both sides. As a result, it looks like a concrete culvert from the outside. The stone arch section is intact within the culvert. It is included here only because it was placed on a map of stone bridges put out by Butler County.
  • Further Resources: A New Addition to the Stone Arch Bridges of Butler County List.
  • Map Number 23.
SW Diamond Road Stone Culvert
Interior of SW Diamond Road Culvert.

Glencoe Township SE 80th Street Culvert

Glencoe Township SE 80th street culvert.

Glencoe Township SE 90th Street Culvert

SE 90th Street Glencoe Township Culvert.

Glencoe Township SE 80th Street Culvert (2)

Glencoe Township SE 80th Street Culvert (2).

Glencoe/Little Walnut Township Line SE Price Road Culvert

SE Price Road Culvert
Glencoe/Little Walnut Township Line SE Price Road Culvert.

Little Walnut/Logan Township Line SE 120th Street Culvert

  • Where: Carries SE 120th Street over a ravine west of 120th’s intersection with Teter Road; the culvert is roughly 3/4 of a mile or so from the Teter/120th intersection.
  • When: Construction underway in 1913, fill added in 1914.
  • Built By: James S. Kiser.
  • Further Resources: James Kiser’s Culverts: Newly Found Butler Stone Culverts.
  • Map Number: 28.
Little Walnut/Logan Township Line SE 120th Street Culvert.

Little Walnut/Logan Township Line SE 120th Street Culvert (2)

  • Where: Carries SE 120th Street over a small ravine a short distance west from the Little Walnut/Logan Township Line SE 120th Street Culvert listed above; these structures span two separate ravines that are notwithstanding near each other.
  • When: Construction underway in 1913, fill added in 1914.
  • Built By: James S. Kiser.
  • Further Resources: James Kiser’s Culverts: Newly Found Butler Stone Culverts.
  • Map Number: 29.
Little Walnut/Logan Township Line SE120th Road Culvert(2)
Little Walnut/Logan Township Line SE120th Street Culvert (2).

Little Walnut Township Teter Road Culvert

  • Where: Located on Teter Road, at the edge of the road roughly halfway or so between Teter’s intersections with SE 120th Street and SE 110th Street.
  • Map Number: 30.
  • Further Resources: A Partly Buried Little Walnut Township Stone Culvert.
  • Note: This culvert no longer is used by the road; the road crosses the channel to the south. Most of this old stone bridge is located within the road right-of-way and is located on the edge of the road. The road edge of this culvert is mostly filled in; for that reason it is substantially larger than what the photo would indicate. It appears to be built along the same lines as #27 (Glencoe/Little Walnut Township Line SE Price Road Culvert) above.
Little Walnut Township Teter Road Culvert.

5th Street Towanda Culvert

  • Where: Located in Towanda, on 5th Street between 5th’s intersections with Pool and Cincinnati streets.
  • When: 1909
  • Built By: J. E. Dwyer.
  • Map Number: 31.
  • Further Resources: A Butler County Stone Bridge in Towanda.
  • Note: This culvert is located within the town of Towanda, and was built by the town proper rather than the county or township.
5th Street Towanda Culvert.

Towanda Township Fulton Road Culvert

  • Where: Located on Fulton Road in Towanda Township, spanning a small channel just south of where Fulton Road crosses the Kansas Turnpike.
  • Map Number: 32.
  • Further Resources: A Butler County Stone Culvert Find in Towanda Township.
  • Note: This culvert has been extensively built up with concrete curbing and also has been modified with the addition of concrete wing walls.
Towanda Township Fulton Road Culvert.

Towanda Township 10th Street Culvert

  • Where: Located on 10th Street, east of 10th’s intersection with Hunter Road.
  • Map Number: 33
  • Further Resources: A Tiny Butler County Stone Culvert.
  • Note: This tiny stone culvert has been given large cement curbings on top, which makes it look like a concrete bridge at a casual glance (but which makes it easy to spot). This culvert has been widened, but in this instance the widened section is also a stone arch which was butted up against the original section.
10th Street Towanda Township Culvert
Towanda Township 10th Street Culvert.

Augusta/Towanda Township Line Culvert

Where: Spans a ditch on 60th Street a short distance west of 60th’s intersection with Buffalo Road.

Map Number: 34.

Further Resources: Butler County’s Gothic Stone Culvert.

Note: This culvert has been widened on one side.

Augusta/Towanda Township Line Culvert.

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Also In Butler….

Brainerd Bridge

  • Where: Spans Dry Creek near Brainerd. The bridge formerly carried Indianola Road, but this section of road has been abandoned. Private property.
  • When: Completed 1903.
  • Built By: C. C. Jamison.
  • Note: This bridge is not visible from the public roads.