About this property
The Dearborn River High Bridge is a Pratt half-deck truss bridge built in 1897, and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places as it is one of the few bridges of its type left standing in the United States. On a half-deck bridge, the deck is attached in the center rather than, as is more common, top or bottom of the superstructure. It crosses the Dearborn River on Lake Bean Road (Montana Secondary 435) about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Augusta, Montana. The unusual design of the Dearborn River High Bridge suits it to carry light loads across high/deep crossings. It has four spans and a wooden plank deck. It is the last standing pin-connected Pratt half-deck truss bridge left in the United States. Construction cost was $9,997. Construction began in 1896 and completed in 1897. This crossing point on the Dearborn River had been used for many years by the local Indian tribes, primarily the Blackfeet. Prior to the bridge's construction this location was known as the Ponderay Crossing. The river was named for United States Secretary of War Henry Dearborn by Lewis and Clark in 1805. The area was left largely unexplored by Europeans for the next 50 years or so. The bridge was rehabilitated in 2003 by the Montana Department of Transportation, with Sletten Construction of Great Falls, Montana as the lead contractor, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 2003.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Dearborn River High Bridge listed on the National Register?
Dearborn River High Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 2003.
What type of historic resource is Dearborn River High Bridge?
Dearborn River High Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Dearborn River High Bridge?
The period of significance for Dearborn River High Bridge is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1897.
Can I research the history near Dearborn River High Bridge?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Dearborn River High Bridge will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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