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Blue Hill or Red, Northumberland County

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Inventory Number: PA/38-49-62x / PA-60-10x
County: Northumberland County / Union County
Township: Point - Union
Town/Village: Northumberland - Blue Hill
Bridge Name: Blue Hill or Red
Crosses: West Branch Susquehanna River
Truss type: Burr
Spans: 5
Length: 1300'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1828
Builder: Reuben Field
When Lost: 30 Jun 1923
Cause: Burned
Latitude: N40 53.017
Longitude: W076 47.917
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: On Route 11 (SR0011).

Blue Hill or Red Bridge, Point-Union, Northumberland County, PA. Built 1828 Burned 30 Jun 1923
Todd Clark Collection

Northumberland-Sunbury or West Tandem Bridge (top), Sunbury and Erie West Tandem Railroad Bridge (middle), Blue Hill or Red Bridge (bottom), Canal Bridge (far left), Northumberland Boro, Northumberland County, PA
Thomas G. Kipphorn Collection

Blue Hill or Red Bridge, Point-Union, Northumberland County, PA. Built 1828 Burned 30 Jun 1923
Courtesy Fred Moll

Sunbury East Bridge (foreground right), Sunbury West Bridge (right background) and Blue Hill Bridge (center background)
Richard Sanders Allen Collection, NSPCB Archives

Sunbury East Bridge (foreground right), Sunbury West Bridge (right background) and Blue Hill Bridge (left)
Richard Sanders Allen Collection, NSPCB Archives

Comments:
24-panel truss. The bridge was built in 1828 by Reuben Field under the Burr Arch Truss design. It was 5 spans with a length of 1300' and was also part of the Pennsylvania Canal system. There were pedestrian walkways on both sides of the bridge. The bridge was built in 1828 by Reuben Field under the Burr Arch Truss design. It was 5 spans with a length of 1300' and was also part of the Pennsylvania Canal system. There were pedestrian walkways on both sides of the bridge. The flood of June 1, 1889 knocked out the center spans, but they were replaced within the same year. Per The Selinsgrove Times-Tribune, August 27, 1936, "Old Covered Bridge, The Old Covered Wooden Bridge Over the West Branch of the Susquehanna River at Northumberland - By Heber C. Gearhart - The old covered wooden bridge over the West Branch of the Susquehanna River at Northumberland, Pennsylvania, came into being as a part of the Canal and highway system of the State. The construction of canals In Pennsylvania was effected in order to keep trade within our State instead of allowing it to get to the Erie Canal which had been constructed in the State of New York. In 1824 an act was passed by the Legislature of the State providing for the appointment of commissioners for the purpose of promoting the internal improvement of the State. The portion of the Pennsylvania Canal from the junction of the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers at Duncan's Island to the Northumberland bridge, 39 miles in length, built under this act, was begun in 1828. The Philadelphia Inquirer of October 18, 1829, states that the water is now flowing down the Susquehanna division of the Pennsylvania Canal past Selinsgrove and Liverpool, the whole line being in complete order to receive the water, and that boats with pleasure parties are passing from Selinsgrove to Sunbury and Northumberland. The Shamokin Dam below Sunbury was built at this time, in the years 1828 and 1829, to back up the water to feed the canal. By an act of the Legislature passed in 1828, the canal commissioners were authorized to build canals on the West Branch from Northumberland to the State Line. Construction of these canals was begun in the same year, but it was not until 1830 that these canals were opened a sufficient distance to secure an appreciable amount of traffic. The bridge at Northumberland over the West Branch was built under the provisions of this act, to serve as a turnpike bridge and towing path. The principal contractors for its construction were Reuben Fields, Randall Wilcox and Lemuel B. Stoughton, and the work was completed about 1831. The operation of canal boats over this bridge was begun this year. The bridge was 1300 feet In length, composed of six spans, built entirely of wood with a covered top, and erected upon five stone piers, and extended from Northumberland over the West Branch of the Susquehanna to Blue Hill. It had two roadways for teams and vehicles. The tow path for mules drawing canal boats was located on the south side of the bridge. On the outside of this tow path there was a railing over which the rope slid. This rope was the means by which the mules pulled the canal boats. The railing on which the ropes slid had to be kept even, to permit the free movement of the ropes, and of course was worn very smooth by the passage of the heavy ropes. To prevent the mules from being pulled against the railing, the driver inserted a heavy stick under the rope against the railing, and all drivers carried these sticks. The West Branch bridge suffered from floods at various times. Two spans were carried away in the flood of 1865, and the four central spans in the flood of 1889, leaving but one at each end. After that disaster the bridge was rebuilt and was practically new. The material used in the bridge was the finest lumber available by the State. This was a toll bridge for many years. The toll house stood at the Northumberland end on the right as you enter the bridge. Mrs. Roberts, mother Bert Roberts, was toll collector for many years. In 1863. when General Lee and Confederate Army made its triumphal march up the Cumberland Valley, only to be stopped by Meade's forces at Gettysburg, the residents of Northumberland stuffed the old bridge with hay and stood ready to burn down the ancient structure should Lee be successful. In 1889, the bridge was taken over by the three counties which adjoin at or near the Blue Hill end of the bridge as a tri-county bridge. These counties were Northumberland, Union and Snyder. The business of the canal gradually decreased, and by 1895 the business had almost entirely ceased. The dam at Sunbury was taken out by an ice gorge in the flood ln the spring of 1904, and thereafter the canal could not be used at all. This caused all operations on the canal to cease. As a boy, I remember, journeying Heintzel-from Selinsgrove to Clement's Park, immediately across the river from Sunbury, on canal boats on several occasions, going to a Sunday school picnic with the members from Trinity Lutheran Church in Selinsgrove. These are my recollections of travel by canal. This historic bridge was destroyed by fire of unknown origin about noon, Sunday, June 3. 1923, with a loss of approximately $200,000. The bridge was insured for $10,000, by the three counties which then owned the structure. The fire was discovered at noon, and by 12:52 p. m. the last span had fallen. The ruins continued to burn throughout the following night. It was one of the last wooden bridges spanning a large stream in Pennsylvania. A ferry was established for service between Northumberland and Blue Hill by the following Thursday. This blaze was most spectacular, the river bank ln the entire territory being lined with spectators."

Sources:
The Selinsgrove Times-Tribune, August 27, 1936, p.8.
Cattaraugus Republican (Little Valley, NY), June 6, 1923.
Moll, Fred J.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges - Our Heritage, 2004, pages 26, 130-131
Kipphorn, Thomas. Information received by email, April 2006

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