Verde River Sheep Bridge

Last updated
Verde River Sheep Bridge
Verde River Sheep Bridge.jpg
Historic bridge
USA Arizona location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Nearest city Carefree, Arizona
Coordinates 34°4′39″N111°42′26″W / 34.07750°N 111.70722°W / 34.07750; -111.70722
Area5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built1940 (1940)
Architectural styleSuspension
NRHP reference No. 78000569 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 21, 1978

The Verde River Sheep Bridge, also known as the Red Point Sheep Bridge, is a suspension bridge which crosses the Verde River in Arizona. Constructed primarily to allow sheep to be driven between grazing ranges on either side of the river. Building started in 1943 and was completed in 1944. Sheep drives stopped in 1978. The bridge was closed in 1987 and largely demolished in 1988. A replica bridge was constructed by the U.S. Forest Service in 1989 to allow hikers access to the Mazatzal Wilderness in Tonto National Forest. The original west suspension tower still remains alongside the replica bridge.

Contents

History

Replacement bridge Sheep Bridge.jpg
Replacement bridge

Dr. R. O. Raymond of the Flagstaff Sheep Company owned a winter sheep allotment on the east side of the Verde River and a summer allotment on the west side. Access between the sides was difficult, and high water conditions could make it hazardous to ford the river. Raymond decided to fund the construction of a narrow suspension bridge across the Verde to make the crossing easier. A road was built to the bridge site in 1943 and construction was started on a bridge to a design by C. O. Gilliam. It was built using surplus materials from the Bluebell Mine, as well as some cables from the Golden Turkey Mine. The builders were Frank Auza, the Flagstaff Sheep Company's foreman, and George W. Smith, a local builder, with a crew of more than thirty Basque, French Basque, Mexican and Hispanic sheepherders. Auza and Smith visited the Blue Point Sheep Bridge on the Salt River to learn about its construction, deciding to call the Verde River bridge the Red Point Bridge. The total cost of the bridge as originally built was $7,277. Auza maintained the bridge until 1978, when sheep herding was discontinued in the area. [2] [3]

Description

The original bridge measured 691 feet (211 m) overall from anchorage to anchorage and was 45 inches (110 cm) wide, with a clear cable span of 568 feet (173 m). The walkway, whose abutments were located between the towers, had a span of 476 feet (145 m) with a clearance of about 45 feet (14 m) over the river. The suspension span was supported by 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) wire rope with 0.375-inch (9.5 mm) wire rope suspenders 8 feet (2.4 m) apart. The deck and railings are wood. The 50-foot (15 m) tall west tower is concrete. [3] Although Gilliam designed the tower legs as large timbers, they were made of built-up 2x10s which were more readily available. However, this assembly soon deteriorated, so Auza erected formwork around them and poured concrete towers. Sway bracing was provided by wire cable stays. [2]

Designation and replacement

The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 21, 1978. [1] The original bridge was closed in 1987 [2] and was replaced by a replica in 1989. It provides access to the Mazatzal Wilderness in Tonto National Forest. The bridge is maintained as part of the forest's trail system. [4] The original bridge's concrete abutment remains.

The Verde River Sheep Bridge Is located on a remote section of the Verde River. The Verde River Sheep Bridge Is located on a remote section of the verde river.jpg
The Verde River Sheep Bridge Is located on a remote section of the Verde River.
The present Verde River Sheep Bridge - looking across the bridge to the East. The present Verde River Sheep Bridge - looking across the bridge to the East.jpg
The present Verde River Sheep Bridge - looking across the bridge to the East.
The Verde River Sheep Bridge - looking across the present bridge to the west. The original suspension tower can be seen alongside the present bridge. The Verde River Sheep Bridge - looking across the present bridge to the west. The original suspension tower can be seen along side the present bridge.jpg
The Verde River Sheep Bridge - looking across the present bridge to the west. The original suspension tower can be seen alongside the present bridge.
The Verde River Sheep Bridge crosses at approximately 45 feet above the river. The Verde River Sheep Bridge crosses at approximately 45 feet above the river.jpg
The Verde River Sheep Bridge crosses at approximately 45 feet above the river.
The Sheep Bridge Hot Springs is hidden in the overgrowth of reeds on the west side of the river just up stream from the bridge. The Sheep Bridge Hot Springs is hidden in the overgrowth of reeds on the west side of the river just up stream from the bridge.jpg
The Sheep Bridge Hot Springs is hidden in the overgrowth of reeds on the west side of the river just up stream from the bridge.

Hot spring

Water from a natural hot spring emerges near the bridge. The 99 °F (37 °C) water is piped to three cattle watering tubs on a ledge above the river. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suspension bridge</span> Type of bridge

A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridges, which lack vertical suspenders, have a long history in many mountainous parts of the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Bridge</span> Bridge in New York City

The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River. It was also the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its opening, with a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m) and a deck 127 ft (38.7 m) above mean high water. The span was originally called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge or the East River Bridge but was officially renamed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1915.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John A. Roebling</span> German-American engineer (1806–1869)

John Augustus Roebling was a German-born American civil engineer. He designed and built wire rope suspension bridges, in particular the Brooklyn Bridge, which has been designated as a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cable-stayed bridge</span> Type of bridge with cables directly from towers

A cable-stayed bridge has one or more towers, from which cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, normally forming a fan-like pattern or a series of parallel lines. This is in contrast to the modern suspension bridge, where the cables supporting the deck are suspended vertically from the main cable, anchored at both ends of the bridge and running between the towers. The cable-stayed bridge is optimal for spans longer than cantilever bridges and shorter than suspension bridges. This is the range within which cantilever bridges would rapidly grow heavier, and suspension bridge cabling would be more costly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manhattan Bridge</span> Bridge in New York City

The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension. Designed by Leon Moisseiff and built by the Phoenix Bridge Company, the bridge has a total length of 6,855 ft (2,089 m). It is one of four toll-free vehicular bridges connecting Manhattan Island to Long Island; the nearby Brooklyn Bridge is just slightly farther west, while the Queensboro and Williamsburg bridges are to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge</span> Suspension bridge between the Ohio River

The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky. When opened on December 1, 1866, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at 1,057 feet (322 m) main span, which was later overtaken by John A. Roebling's most famous design of the 1883 Brooklyn Bridge at 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m). Pedestrians use the bridge to get between the hotels, bars, restaurants, and parking lots in Northern Kentucky. The bar and restaurant district at the foot of the bridge on the Kentucky side is known as Roebling Point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verde River</span> Perennial stream in central Arizona, US

The Verde River is a major tributary of the Salt River in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is about 170 miles (270 km) long and carries a mean flow of 602 cubic feet per second (17.0 m3/s) at its mouth. It is one of the largest perennial streams in Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonto Apache</span> Western Apache Indigenous people

The Tonto Apache is one of the groups of Western Apache people and a federally recognized tribe, the Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona. The term is also used for their dialect, one of the three dialects of the Western Apache language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampden Bridge, Kangaroo Valley</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

Hampden Bridge is a heritage-listed single-span suspension bridge that carries Moss Vale Road (B73) across the Kangaroo River, in Kangaroo Valley, in the City of Shoalhaven local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The bridge was designed by Ernest de Burgh and built by Loveridge and Hudson. The property is owned by Transport for NSW. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 August 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldo–Hancock Bridge</span> Bridge in Bucksport, Maine

The Waldo–Hancock Bridge was the first long-span suspension bridge erected in Maine, as well as the first permanent bridge across the Penobscot River downstream from Bangor. The name comes from connecting Waldo and Hancock counties. The bridge was built in 1931 and retired in 2006, when the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge was opened just a few yards away, and it was demolished in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Avenue Bridge</span> Bridge in Chicago, Illinois

The North Avenue Bridge can refer to one of three bridges that has carried North Avenue over the North Branch of the Chicago River on the north side of Chicago, Illinois. A center-pier swing bridge built in 1877 was replaced in 1907 by a bascule bridge, allowing river traffic more room for maneuvering in and out of the North Canal, just north of Goose Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Androscoggin Swinging Bridge</span> Historic Suspension footbridge on the Androscoggin River

The Androscoggin Swinging Bridge is a pedestrian suspension bridge spanning the Androscoggin River in Maine between the towns of Topsham in Sagadahoc County and Brunswick in Cumberland County. The bridge was built in 1892 as a timesaving approach for employees of the Cabot Manufacturing Company of Brunswick, could have safer and easier passage across the river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazatzal Mountains</span> Landform in Arizona, United States

The Mazatzal Mountains are a mountain range in south central Arizona, about 30–45 miles northeast of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The origin of the name remains obscure but one possibility is that it is from the Nahuatl language meaning "place of the deer". The crest of the Mazatzals forms the county line between Maricopa County and Gila County. SR 87, the Beeline Highway, traverses the Mazatzals on its way to Payson. The highest peak is Mazatzal Peak at 7,903 feet (2,409 m). They also include the Four Peaks, with elevation 7,659 ft, 2,334 m; a prominent mountain and landmark of the eastern Phoenix area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1950)</span> Suspension bridge in Washington State

The 1950 Tacoma Narrows Bridge is a suspension bridge in the U.S. state of Washington that carries the westbound lanes of Washington State Route 16 across the Tacoma Narrows strait, between the city of Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula. Opened on October 14, 1950, it was built in the same location as the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which collapsed due to a windstorm on November 7, 1940. It is the older of the twin bridges that make up the Tacoma Narrows Bridge crossing of the Tacoma Narrows, and carried both directions of traffic across the strait until 2007. At the time of its construction, the bridge was, like its predecessor, the third-longest suspension bridge in the world in terms of main span length, behind the Golden Gate Bridge and George Washington Bridge; it is now the 46th longest suspension bridge in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yale Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Yale Bridge or Lewis River Bridge spans the Lewis River near Yale, Washington. It was built in 1932 by Cowlitz and Clark counties. The suspension bridge has a clear span of 300 feet (91 m), with a total length of 532 feet (162 m), replacing a previous steel truss bridge at the site. Construction of the Ariel Dam had created Lake Merwin with a water depth of 90 feet (27 m) at the site, requiring a new bridge that did not need to have support piers in the water. The road deck, stiffened by a steel Warren truss, is 50 feet (15 m) above the high water line of the reservoir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duck Run Cable Suspension Bridge</span> United States historic place

Duck Run Cable Suspension Bridge, also known as Trubada Swinging Bridge, is a historic cable suspension bridge that spans the Little Kanawha River at Trubada, Gilmer County, West Virginia. The bridge was built in 1922. The bridge is 351 feet, 7 inches, with a main span of 209 feet, 9 inches, and two half spans of 76 feet, 6 inches, and 65 feet, 4 inches. It features four reinforced concrete towers for the two wire rope cables.

Mazatzal Wilderness is a wilderness area of about 390 square miles (1,000 km2) in Yavapai and Gila counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. The wilderness is within the Tonto and Coconino national forests. The town of Payson is to the east, and the Verde River is to the west. During summer, temperatures in the wilderness often exceed 110 °F (43 °C).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge carries Surry Road over the Ashuelot River in Gilsum, New Hampshire. Built in 1862–63, it is one of the highest stone arch bridges in the state. It has a span of 47 feet 8 inches (14.53 m), and an average height over the river of 36 feet 6 inches (11.13 m). The roadway is 43 feet 6 inches (13.26 m) above the riverbed. It stands on the site of four previous bridges, where the river passes through a deep gorge. The previous bridge was also a stone arch bridge, which was built in 1860 and collapsed a few months later. It was designed by William Leonard Kingsbury, a local official; its builders are not known because the town's records were destroyed in a fire. The present bridge's vault is carefully constructed from dry-laid granite voussoirs that were shaped for a very precise fit, with larger stones at the lower ends of the arch, and a smaller ones at the crown. Some of the stones were left with rough surfaces, while others were hammered smooth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Portland Wire Bridge</span> United States historic place

The New Portland Wire Bridge is a historic suspension bridge in New Portland, Maine. The bridge carries Wire Bridge Road across the Carrabassett River a short way north of the village center. Built in the mid-19th century, it is one of four 19th-century suspension bridges in the state. It is one lane wide, and has a weight limit of 3 tons. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and was designated as a Maine Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylamore Creek Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Sylamore Creek Bridge is a historic bridge in east central Stone County, Arkansas, just south of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. It carries County Road 283 across Sylamore Creek, a short way west of Arkansas Highway 9 and north of the Holiday Mountain Resort in Allison. It is a wire-cable suspension bridge, with steel towers mounted on concrete piers supporting four main cables that are anchored into concrete abutments. The bridge is 202 feet (62 m) long, with a deck width of 19 feet 6 inches (5.94 m) and a clearance height of 11 feet (3.4 m). Built in 1945, it is one of three known wire-cable bridges in the state.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Gerald A. Doyle & Associates (July 1987). "Verde River Sheep Bridge (Red Point Sheep Bridge)" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Weinel, W. G. (July 22, 1975). "Verde River Sheep Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  4. "Sheeps Bridge". Tonto National Forest. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  5. Loam, Jayson; Gersh, Marjorie (1992). Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Southwest (Rev. ed.). Santa Cruz, Calif.: Aqua Thermal Access. p. 160. ISBN   0-9624830-4-4.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to River Sheep Bridge, Cave Creek at Wikimedia Commons