Laughery Creek Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Laughery Creek Bridge is an abandoned truss bridge
on the border of Dearborn County, Indiana
and Ohio County, Indiana
. It crosses Laughery Creek. This bridge was built in 1878. The Wrought Iron Bridge Company
, a prolific late 19th century bridge company, constructed the bridge. The bridge is seated on stone abutments. The deck surface is not original and is currently concrete. The bridge, nearly 300 feet in length, is a single span pin connected triple intersection Pratt through truss, and is the only example in the world of this truss type. The name bridge's nickname, "Triple Whipple Bridge" is a play on words. The double-intersection Pratt, which was called the Whipple
truss configuration, was a far more common variation of the standard Pratt configuration. Since the Laughery Creek Bridge's members have three intersections instead of two, this gives rise to the "Triple Whipple" name. This bridge is currently on the National Register of Historic Places
.
After closing in the 1970s, the bridge fell into serious disrepair, landing it on the Indiana’s 10 Most Endangered places list in 1993. A combination of federal funds and matching funds from Dearborn and Ohio Counties allowed the bridge to be refurbished and converted to pedestrian use in 2009.
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
on the border of Dearborn County, Indiana
Dearborn County, Indiana
Dearborn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 50,047. It is part of the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area. The county seat is Lawrenceburg.-History:...
and Ohio County, Indiana
Ohio County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,623 people, 2,201 households, and 1,586 families residing in the county. The population density was 65 people per square mile . There were 2,424 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
. It crosses Laughery Creek. This bridge was built in 1878. The Wrought Iron Bridge Company
Wrought Iron Bridge Company
The Wrought Iron Bridge Company was a bridge fabrication and construction company based in Canton, Ohio. It specialized, as the name would suggest, in the fabrication of iron truss bridges and was a prolific bridge builder in the late 19th century...
, a prolific late 19th century bridge company, constructed the bridge. The bridge is seated on stone abutments. The deck surface is not original and is currently concrete. The bridge, nearly 300 feet in length, is a single span pin connected triple intersection Pratt through truss, and is the only example in the world of this truss type. The name bridge's nickname, "Triple Whipple Bridge" is a play on words. The double-intersection Pratt, which was called the Whipple
Squire Whipple
Squire Whipple C.E. was a civil engineer born in Hardwick, Massachusetts, USA. His family moved to New York when he was thirteen. He studied at Fairfield Academy. He graduated from Union College after only one year...
truss configuration, was a far more common variation of the standard Pratt configuration. Since the Laughery Creek Bridge's members have three intersections instead of two, this gives rise to the "Triple Whipple" name. This bridge is currently 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...
.
After closing in the 1970s, the bridge fell into serious disrepair, landing it on the Indiana’s 10 Most Endangered places list in 1993. A combination of federal funds and matching funds from Dearborn and Ohio Counties allowed the bridge to be refurbished and converted to pedestrian use in 2009.
External links
- "Celebrating the Triple Whipple" by the Historic Landmarks Foundation of IndianaHistoric Landmarks Foundation of IndianaIndiana Landmarks is America's largest private statewide historic preservation organization. Founded as the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana by Indianapolis pharmaceutical executive Eli Lilly in 1960, the organization is a private non-governmental organization with nearly 11,000 members...
, October 30, 2009. - "Triple Whipple Bridge" by Historic Bridges of Michigan and Elsewhere
- Survey number HAER IN-16 - Laughery Creek Bridge, Spanning Laughery Creek, Aurora vicinity, Dearborn County, IN