Seven Bridges Road
The Van Loon Wildlife Area Truss Bridge Group, located in Northwest La Crosse County, Wisconsin, is a unique combination of five rare bowstring arch truss bridges and one low truss bridge which was adopted from Pierce County. They represent two styles of bridge construction popular in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries which are quickly being replaced due to deterioration or inability to meet today's greater traffic requirements. Currently the bridges are open only to pedestrian traffic. The bridges are located in the Van Loon Wildlife Area on the Old McGilvray Bottoms Road. The wildlife area contains about 4000 acres of land, much of it former farmland, along and through the Black River and its backwater. The purpose of the area is to provide fishing and hunting for waterfowl, upland game and deer.
The Black River had long blocked travel between the two counties before Alex McGilvray built his ferry in 1861. However the increased logging over the years made for difficult maintenance and unreliable operations of the McGilvray ferry. After repeated petitioning from the residents of both Trempealeau and La Crosse counties, the La Crosse County board appropriated funds to construct the five bowstring arch truss bridges on the Old McGilvray Road. This old county road crossed over the swampy backwater as a direct route to the main channel bridge (1892-1954) which had replaced McGilvray's Ferry across the Black River. These five arch truss bridges which were built between 1905-1908 shortened the trip between rural Trempealeau County and the city of La Crosse by 8 miles.
The remaining bridges are identified as #1 through #6, with Bridge #1 being the most easterly and Bridge #6 the most westerly. A wooden king post bridge was located at the site of bridge #5.
The Black River had long blocked travel between the two counties before Alex McGilvray built his ferry in 1861. However the increased logging over the years made for difficult maintenance and unreliable operations of the McGilvray ferry. After repeated petitioning from the residents of both Trempealeau and La Crosse counties, the La Crosse County board appropriated funds to construct the five bowstring arch truss bridges on the Old McGilvray Road. This old county road crossed over the swampy backwater as a direct route to the main channel bridge (1892-1954) which had replaced McGilvray's Ferry across the Black River. These five arch truss bridges which were built between 1905-1908 shortened the trip between rural Trempealeau County and the city of La Crosse by 8 miles.
The remaining bridges are identified as #1 through #6, with Bridge #1 being the most easterly and Bridge #6 the most westerly. A wooden king post bridge was located at the site of bridge #5.
Prints for sale
#353 prints 1 thru 6. Framed matted,with penciled remarque. 10% of sales to go to the Friends. Contact Marty Sobeck @ 783-4838
Vintage Van Loon Brochure - 1968
4/26/11
| vintage_van_loon_brochure__1968.pdf |
