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Lower or Columbia, Butler County

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Inventory Number: OH/35-09-21x
County: Butler County
Township: St. Clair
Town/Village: Hamilton
Bridge Name: Lower or Columbia
Crosses: Great Miami River
Truss type: Burr
Spans: 2
Length:
Roadway Width:
Built: 1859
Builder:
When Lost: 22 Mar 1898
Cause: Flood
Latitude: N39 23.67
Longitude: W084 34.27
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: New London Pike in Hamilton on site of present Hamilton Bridge.

Lower or Columbia Bridge, St. Clair, Butler County, OH Built 1859 Flood 1898
Miriam G. Wood Collection

Comments:
16-panel truss. A week of steady rain preceded a thunderstorm March 22, 1898. The river rose steadily until it peaked in Hamilton at 3 a.m. March 24th. Five hours later the original Columbia Bridge — a privately-funded covered wooden structure built in 1859 — collapsed. Two men were inside the bridge. One grabbed a tree and was saved; the other was never seen again. Hamilton’s fatality total was never determined. At least seven people died and four were believed missing. The current bridge there spans about 750 feet and the river is about 540 feet wide, so the bridge was likely 3 spans. Per The Journal News (Hamilton), March 25, 1898, "The old covered bridge has been located. One section is on the "Straw" Carver farm and the other on the farm of Sigmand Somers on the west side of the river. As the city receives no portion of the bridge tax it will devolve upon the county to rebuild the bridge if it is to be rebuilt at all. The south corporation line ran through the center of the bridge, but the line is of course, imaginary and is understood to be so sufficiently indicated as not to require a re-survey. If the bridge is rebuilt it is a question as to where it will be located. The old site may be abandoned and it is not absurdly improbable that the new side may beat Ross and Court streets. The flood of 1898 will be memorable forever."

Sources:
Clark, Todd. Information received by email, June 2016
Clark, Todd. Information received by email, July 2014
The Journal News (Hamilton), March 25, 1898, p.5.
Wood, Miriam. Ohio Covered Bridge Index, Butler County