| Other County Histories | Civil War | 1886 | 1913 Vol. 2 | 1916 | Depression | | |||
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Past and Present of Livingston County Volume 1. History by Major A. J. Roof. 1913 |
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Page 109
The Graham Mill bridge on the east fork of Grand river and the Jimtown bridge on the main river were the first steel bridges built in the county. The contract for these two structures was let by the county court on May 8, 1866, to L. M. Densmore at a cost of $37,000 for the two. At the date of letting the contract Z. N. Goldsby was commissioner; S. B. Deland, president of county court and R. B. Moss and Anthony Rogers, associate judges. At this time Garry Harker was sheriff and John DeSha, county clerk. Both bridges were finished in the month of August, 1868.
An order was made by the county court on September 9, 1870, for two street bridges, one at Bedford and one at Utica, at a cost of $21,500 for the former and $18,000 for the latter, to be paid for in three annual installments, the deferred payments bearing 10 per cent interest. The contract for their construction, however, was let to Bishop & Eaton, of Hannibal, Missouri, on October 8, 1870, for $36,000 for both, and they were completed and accepted by the county court on July 12, 1871.
The steel bridge over the main body of Grand river on what is known as the Air Line Road, was erected at a cost of $8,000. There are also two steel bridges on the west fork of Grand river, one north of Utica and one north of Mooresville, that, cost the county $6,000 each.
On the east fork of the river there are two steel bridges, one near Chula and one on west Third street that cost $4,500 each.
On Medicine creek there are seven steel bridges, three of which cost the county $4,500 each and the other four $2,000 each.
There are also four steel bridges on Shoal creek that cost the tax-payers of the county $1,000 each.
Honey creek is spanned by three steel bridges costing $600 each. Many of the smaller streams are also spanned with steel bridges probably twenty-five in all, that were constructed at a cost of from $200 to $400 each; also ten on concrete abutments that cost $250 each. In addition to the bridges there are eight concrete culverts that cost the county on an average of $250 each.