The River Press
May 18, 1881
John Castner had two mules drowned in Belt creek on last Monday evening. The team was fording the stream, and becoming unmanagable wheeled around suddenly, tipping the wagon over and throwing the two wheelers. Mrs. Bell, who was in one of the wagons, was thrown out and would have been drowned but for the timely arrival of assistance. Besides the team Mr. Castner lost perhaps one hundred dollars worth of provisions which was swept from the wagon into the scathing waters.
The Benton Daily Record
April 20, 1882
John Castner intends putting in a bridge across Belt creek at Pittsburgh, where his coal mine is situated, this summer.
The River Press
July 26, 1882
We are glad to know that the commissioners are favorable to the construction of a bridge across Belt creek. For once, at least, they have complied with the wishes of the people.
The River Press
December 6, 1882
A New Road to Barker.
The building of the new. Belt creek bridge, insuring a safe crossing of that stream at all seasons, has revived the proposition of making that the principal road from Benton to Barker, and steps to perfect the arrangements have already been taken. John Castner is about to build another bridge across the Belt at his place, and we understand that the work of improving the road up Otter creek to the junction with the present road at Mann's has already commenced, considerable money for that purpose having been subscribed at Barker and • by other parties interested. We under-stand that the proposed new route is shorter and the road a much better one, as several bad hills are avoided.
The River Press
December 27, 1882
D. G. Griffith and Ford Caldwell returned last evening from Belt creek where they had been looking after their bridge contract. They report that the work is progressing nicely, and within thirty days they expect to have the structure completed. Four of the five piers are now finished, and all the timbers will be framed in a few days so that the greater part of the work has already been accomplished. Long before the freshets of '83 the people of Belt creek and that section can cross on the bridge.
The River Press
January 16, 1884
The matter of fixing or Moving the Belt creek bridge was discussed by the board, and it was determined that they should go out soon and examine into the matter. The bridge must either have some work done on it, or be moved as is contemplated, if it is desired to have it stand through the June rise. This bridge cost the county about $6,000 and it will not do to take any chances on it .
The River Press
April 2, 1884
The contract for making the required improvements on the Belt creek bridge has been awarded to Ed. Smith for $750.
The River Press
December 8, 1886
Mr. John Castner of Belt creek has been elected justice of the peace in that town-ship and will give prompt attention to any business entrusted to him. He purchased a full line of blanks at the RIVER PRESS office today.
The River Press
December 11, 1886
The new Belt Creek bridge across the creek at Castner's is completed. The abutments are made of cotton wood.
Perhaps cottonwood will last longer than fir or pine, but we never heard so.
Historical Context
Crossing Belt Creek before 1890 meant fording it with a team and wagon, or on horseback, or stepping, from rock to rock. The ford most commonly used was several rods north of the present vehicle bridge. The wagon bridge was built by the county in 1890. In 1897, because, in width, the bridge accommodated only two wagons and had no provisions for pedestrians, the county commissioners advertised for bids for the construction of wooden sidewalks on either side of the wagon bridge. The earliest footbridge was two cottonwood logs, roughly smoothed on one side, supported by a big rock in center stream where the logs overlapped. It was probably located in the area of the present footbridge at the end of Second Avenue South. When the six year old son of William Hull fell off the improvised bridge and drowned, residents saw the need for a more permanent one. A meeting was called in March 1895 for all those interested in a Second Avenue South bridge and in July the new footbridge was opened to the public with a ceremony that included a speech by Judge Burns and a selection by the band. The bridge was christened the Poirier Bridge in honor of Al Poirier who worked hard for its construction. In 1899 a subscription was taken up among the employees of the A.C.M. Company on the south side of the lower town for the purpose of putting in a footbridge on Fourth Avenue. High water took out the Second Avenue South bridge in 1896 and 1903. Each time it was rebuilt through public subscription. The 1907 flood took out both the Fourth Avenue and Second Avenue bridges. John S. Cook contracted to rebuild both, again with funds raised by subscription. The amount raised for the Second Avenue bridge was $375. The suspension bridge behind the company store was rebuilt higher than the old one and suspended with three cables instead of two. The Second Avenue bridge, completed in April 1908, had a nine foot roadway to accommodate hose carts, and two spans of trusses on heavy piers. The floor of the bridge was ten feet above the low water mark. A temporary timber approach on the east side was filled with dirt. (That approach was used until 1937 ) When the bridge was completed in 1908, the city council voted to assume ownership. In 1915 high school students painted the bridge at their own expense. The 1908 flood took out the suspension bridge on Fourth Avenue South, but the other bridges were saved. A number of miners rebuilt it in 1912. In 1913 the residents of Coke Oven Flat built a swinging bridge across the creek at the Brodie mine. A benefit dance in 1923 provided $250 for the repair of the fifteen year old footbridge. The American Legion painted the bridge green at the cost of $35.50. It was repaired again in 1926 and in 1935 city officials were trying to determine whether to rebuild the 27 year old bridge or not. It had survived the 1927 flood but was old and unsafe. Since it was a convenience to many people, a new bridge was completed in 1937 at a cost of $4,000. The city had the iron for trusses and the timber for the superstructure, so it was a question of raising S1,800 for labor. (In 1939 the city levied 21/2 mills on each dollar of taxable property for the purpose of financing the construction of the city footbridge The W.P.A. furnished the labor for building the approaches and the center pier. A city crew built the bridge which was only five feet wide to prevent vehicle traffic. After the 1953 flood the footbridge was replaced by popular subscription with a suspension bridge anchored at both ends. It was replaced most recently by Burlington Northern after the explosion in 1976. The wagon bridge did not present as many problems as the footbridge. In 1912 and again in 1917 it was necessary to replank that bridge because of the wear from horseshoes and iron-tired wagon wheels. More freight teams had crossed that bridge than any other bridge in use. In 1922 the county commissioners approved a request from Belt to construct a new bridge over Belt Creek. A contract was let for $22,435 with the cost shared equally by county and federal governments. Plans had been drawn to build the new bridge 201/2 inches higher than the old one. People did not agree to this because of the added expense to build approaches. The new wagon bridge, which is still in use, was open for travel in January 1924. The first vehicle to cross was that of Gust Probst. The bridge was the "heaviest in the state for the length of span because of the particularly heavy traffic." It was 100 feet long, with trusses six feet above the walk and seven feet above the roadway. The footwalks were six feet wide and were protected on the outside by a steel lattice. The roadway was 26 feet wide with a bed of reinforced concrete ten inches thick guaranteed to hold any load. The concrete for the footpaths was five inches thick. The iron work was painted a glossy black.
When the county built the bridge, they buried the cement sidewalks on either end and cut off the storm sewer that drained Castner Square. Melting snow sent water rolling into the street, because there was no escape at the bridge. In 1925 the storm sewers were fixed and guard fences built above the winglike piers, to keep people from walking into the creek. The sidewalks were replaced later. For flood control after the 1953 flood, United States engineers wanted to raise the vehicle bridge another seven feet with wing approaches 100 feet long having a 10% grade. The citizens protested. The vehicle bridge remains a potential bottleneck during periods of flooding, and because of this much of the town on the flat has been designated as being in the flood plain.
Source: Belt Valley History 1877-1979 Researched and compiled by Ethel Castner Kennedy and Eva Lesell Stober with text by Eva Lesell Stober.
Pp. 132-133