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Documenting North America's past & present covered bridges

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, Dallas County

If you find errors in the data please contact Bill Caswell.

If you would like to provide information on covered bridges that no longer exist from your state, or adopt a state to work on, we would certainly welcome your assistance. Please contact Trish Kane for more information.

Inventory Number: TX/43-57-01x
County: Dallas County
Township:
Town/Village: Dallas
Bridge Name:
Crosses: Trinity River
Truss type:
Spans:
Length: 620'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1855
Builder:
When Lost: Unknown
Cause:
Latitude: N32 46.52
Longitude: W096 49.22
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: Near the present location of Commerce Street in Dallas.

Reportedly at Irving, Dallas County, TX. However, this bridge is more likely Graham's Mill in Chillicothe, Missouri.
University of North Texas, Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu/permalink/meta-pth-3359

Comments:
"Alexander and Sarah Cockrell in 1852 purchase property from John Neely Bryan and the concession to operate a ferry across the Trinity River. The Cockrells erected a covered bridge over the river and built a steam sawmill. A newspaper advertisement in 24-Feb-1855, two months after the bridge opened, states the 620 length and confirms it was covered. Sarah Cockrell finished the construction of a hotel after her husband’s death. Subsequently, bridges were built at two other locations. One, known as the “long wooden” bridge was located near present Cadiz Street. The second, on Zang Boulevard turnpike, was located just west of the present Houston Street Viaduct. The design of these early bridges was such that moderate flooding, either submerged the bridges or their approaches. The bridge was probably close to where the Ferry had been, ~Commerce Street."

Sources:
Clark, Todd. Information received by email, June 2011
http://redwhiteandyaz.com/living-bridge-lee-ann-torrans/
University of North Texas, Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu/permalink/meta-pth-3360