The stone arch bridges of Cowley County, Kansas, have been famous statewide for many years. One major reason the Cowley bridges are so famous is their size. While other counties built many stone arch bridges, Cowley County consistently used the stone arch bridge to span their streams, large and small. Below is a list of the existing known stone arch bridges located on public roads; for information on the private Horse Creek Bridge, which is nevertheless clearly visible from Grouse Creek Road, click here. A general summery of Cowley stone arch bridges can be found here.
For the aid of those who wish to tour the picturesque stone arch bridges of Cowley County, we have compiled a 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.
Note: Please no trespassing. To the best of our knowledge, the listed bridges are located on public roads. In case of questions or problems feel free to contact us.
A List of the Existing Stone Arch Bridges on the Roads of Cowley County, Kansas
This list, which can be used in conjunction with the map above, is composed of the known existing stone arch bridges on the roads of Cowley County, Kansas. On the list below we have called the bridges their original names where possible followed by the names they are more commonly known by.
Kirk Bridge/Pudden Bridge/Esch’s Spur Bridge
- Where: Spanning Grouse Creek on 232nd Road near Dexter.
- Built By: Walter Sharp.
- When: 1913.
- An Illustrated History of Esch’s Spur Bridge.
- Further Reading: The Esch’s Spur Bridge, Update on Esch’s Spur Bridge, Pudden Bridge History and Heritage.
- Note: This bridge is currently closed to vehicular traffic.
- Map Number: 1.
Neer Bridge
- Where: Spanning Grouse Creek on 275th Road near Cambridge.
- Built By: Walter Sharp & Son (Replaced previous stone arch bridge built by Andy Cook).
- When: 1916 (Replaced previous stone arch bridge begun in 1913).
- Further Reading: The Story of the Neer Bridge in Cowley County, Kansas, Two Obscure but Revealing Cowley Bridge Plaques.
- Map Number: 2.
Rock Creek Bridge
- Where: Spanning Rock Creek on 22nd Road near Rock, Kansas.
- Map Number 3.
Jordan Bridge/Andes Bridge
- Where: Spanning Silver Creek on 192nd Road near Winfield.
- Built By: Walter Sharp.
- When: 1909.
- Further Reading: Andes Bridge.
- Map Number: 4.
Fromm Bridge
- Where: Spanning Grouse Creek on 275th Road near Cambridge.
- When: 1917.
- Map Number 5.
George Steele’s Bridge/Muret Bridge
- Where: Spanning Silver Creek on 232nd Road near Winfield.
- Built By: Walter Sharp.
- When: 1904.
- Map Number 6.
Huston Bridge/Crab Creek Bridge
- Where: Spanning Crab Creek on 223rd Road near Dexter.
- Built By: Walter Sharp.
- When: 1915.
- Map Number 7.
Silliman Bridge/Badger Creek Bridge
- Where: Spanning Badger Creek on 121st Road near Winfield.
- When: Contract let December 1908.
- Map Number 8.
Floral Bridge
- Where: Spanning Timber Creek on 92nd Road near Floral.
- Built By: Walter Sharp.
- When: 1906.
- Map Number 9.
Snodgrass Bridge/Timber Creek Bridge
- Where: Spanning Timber Creek on 231st Road near Atlanta.
- Built By: “Doc” Daniel Smith.
- When: Contract awarded in 1915.
- Further Reading: Two Obscure but Revealing Cowley Bridge Plaques.
- Map Number 10.
Olmstead Bridge/Stewart Bridge
- Where: Spanning Stewart Creek on 51st Road near Udall.
- Built By: Jerry Hammond.
- When: 1904.
- Map Number: 11.
Dr. Snyder’s Bridge
- Where: Spanning Spring Creek on 262nd Road near Arkansas City.
- When: 1935.
- Map Number: 12.
Black Crook Creek Bridge
- Where: Spanning Black Crook Creek on Joel Mack Road, just outside of the south edge of Winfield.
- When: 1908.
- Map Number: 13.
Bridge North of Dexter
- Where: Spanning a small stream on 241st Road just outside of the north edge of Dexter.
- Map Number: 14.
Chase Bridge/Thompson Bridge
- Where: Spanning a branch of Badger Creek on 182nd Road near Winfield.
- Built By: Jerry Hammond.
- When: 1906.
- Further Reading: The Thompson Bridge.
- Map Number: 15.
Stalter Bridge
- Where: Spanning the Stalter Branch of Rock Creek on 101st Road near Rock.
- Map Number: 16.
Plum Creek Bridge
- Where: Spanning Plum Creek on 271st Road near Dexter.
- Built By: Lew Welch
- When: 1908
- Map Number: 17
Plum Creek Branch Bridge
- Where: Spanning a branch of Plum Creek on 271st Road near Dexter. (This bridge is a short distance south of the Plum Creek Bridge above; these bridges are within sight of each other, though they are separate structures.)
- Map Number: 18
182nd Road Culvert
- Where: Spanning a small, normally dry channel on 182nd Road, about halfway between 182nd’s intersections with 271st Road and 291st Road.
- Map Number: 19
Stone Arch Bridges 
