McDowell Bridge, Spanning North Skunk River, Montezuma, Poweshiek County, IA

Significance: The McDowell bridge was was built in 1883, towards the end of the heyday of the use of bowstring arch-trusses. In the 1860s and 1870s bowstring arch-trusses were used extensively because of their great structural efficiency. The 1880s saw a shift towards the pin-connected trusses which offered greater lateral stability. The McDowell bridge is an excellent example of the work of the King Iron Bridge and Manufacturing Company, a major bridge fabricator who erected thousands of these type of bridges throughout the nation, including hundreds in Iowa. This bridge is also of interest for its use of the King Company's patented end support piers.

Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N243

Survey number: HAER IA-72

Building/structure dates: 1883 Initial Construction

National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 98000488

vehicular bridges iowa mcdowell bridge mcdowell bridge skunk north skunk river montezuma poweshiek poweshiek county historic american engineering record king iron bridge and manufacturing zenas king photo ultra high resolution high resolution historic american landscapes survey historic american buildings survey manufacturing plants manufacturing library of congress national register of historic places

1933 - 1970

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html