General Dean Suspension Bridge
Encyclopedia
William F. Dean
William Frishe Dean, Sr. was a major general in the United States Army during World War II and the Korean War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 20 and 21, 1950, during the Battle of Taejon in South Korea...
. Dean served during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and was a native of Carlyle, Illinois
Carlyle, Illinois
Carlyle is a city in Clinton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,406 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clinton County.Carlyle is located approximately 50 miles east of St...
, which is where the bridge spans the Kaskaskia River
Kaskaskia River
The Kaskaskia River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in central and southern Illinois in the United States. The second largest river system within Illinois, it drains a rural area of farms, as well as rolling hills along river bottoms of hardwood forests in its lower...
in Clinton County
Clinton County, Illinois
-Demographics: As of the census of 2000, there were 35,535 people, 12,754 households, and 9,221 families residing in the county. The population density was 75 people per square mile . There were 13,805 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...
. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It was added to the Register in 1973.
History
The General William F. Dean Suspension Bridge was originally constructed in 1859 at a cost of $40,000. The original bridge remained in operation for nearly seventy years. Before the bridge was constructed travelers were forced to cross the Kaskaskia at Carlyle by ferry or over a mud bridge. In 1950 the Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings Survey
The Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
(HABS) recognized the bridge for its architectural significance. HABS recommended preservation of the bridge. The Illinois General Assembly
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois and comprises the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Illinois has 59 legislative districts, with two...
set aside $20,000 for bridge restoration in 1951 and in 1953 the bridge received its current nomenclature and was named after Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Dean.