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In May 1926, two months after the discovery of oil in Hutchinson County led to establishment of the city of Borger, county commissioners awarded a contract to the Austin Bridge Co. of Dallas for construction of a bridge to cross the Canadian River. The bridge was located at Dixon Point - where Dixon Creek empties into the Canadian River - at the settlement of Plemons, between the newly-formed towns of Stinnett and Borger. At the time, the undammed Canadian River spanned widths of over a mile, and was treacherous to cross during flood periods; even when the river was manageable the wide riverbed contained perilous patches of quicksand and frustrating mud. The bridge was built at a cost of $135,000 as a toll bridge, operated by the Austin Bridge Co., until the cost of the bridge was recouped. Pedestrians were charged 10 cents to cross the bridge, a one-horse buggy cost 35 cents, and driving an automobile across brought a charge of one dollar. The bridge is one lane, with a 16-foot clearance for traffic. Steel members of the bridge are stamped from Bethlehem Steel in Pennsylvania and Colorado Fuel and Iron Co. in Colorado. The bridge is composed of thirty riveted and bolted Warren pony trusses with verticals, each approximately 80 feet long. Although the Warren pony truss is the most common historic bridge design, the distinctive feature of this bridge was the incorporation of such a large number of this type of truss into one long bridge. Including approaches, the bridge is 2471 feet long. Although the Plemons Bridge has been replaced as the route of choice of Hutchinson County travelers over the Canadian River, it remains as an artifact of the early days of Hutchinson County history. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2009 |
