Lower Bridge

This is another Manawa landmark that, like the Ceylon Hotel, I've never seen, except in pictures.

At the turn of the 20th century, there were just two bridges in Little Wolf township that crossed the river. Brickley's bridge, in the town of Centerville, was built in 1858, and the railroad bridge, through the middle of Manawa, was built around 1872. But the Depot Street bridge was built just north of Manawa in 1902, and the lower bridge was build two years later. In the space of just two years, Manawa became the focus of most traffic through the township.

The lower bridge was on the south side of town, crossing the Little Wolf River just down stream from where the county highway B bridge is now. According stories in the Manawa Advocate, it was built in 1904 and destroyed by floodwaters caused by an ice jam in 1922. The wooden cribs you can see built up between the arches were supposed to prevent damage from ice floes.

The low bridge was replaced by an iron deck bridge, a couple hundred yards upstream, where County Highway B crosses the river. It's nowhere near as picturesque.

My brother and I used to go river walking here, after the water was frozen over. The only evidence now that there was ever a bridge on this spot is River Street, which runs almost all the way down to the river, then ends abruptly.

The bridge is also identified on other post cards as the old stone bridge.