{"id":13309,"date":"2018-09-07T19:52:49","date_gmt":"2018-09-08T02:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/?p=13309"},"modified":"2025-07-25T16:31:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T23:31:04","slug":"first-bridge-to-indianapolis-over-the-white-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2018\/09\/07\/first-bridge-to-indianapolis-over-the-white-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington St. Bridge from Downtown Indianapolis over the White River, 1870"},"content":{"rendered":"

B<\/strong><\/span>elow is the bridge I go over almost every day on my way from the zoo to downtown Indianapolis. Now an esplanade, in 1834 it was NOT the covered bridge you see in the first picture here. It was also NOT a part of the National Road Thomas Jefferson signed into law in 1806 to connect Washington, DC with the Mississippi River.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"37078652_2102456676708700_3123482895495200768_n\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"37160873_2102664210021280_6565312619555586048_o\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"37199001_2102664283354606_2112370310375276544_o\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n
\"\"

————— Indianapolis News 10 May 1872 ————<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The bridge I travel over every day, first was built in 1870<\/strong> as an extension of\u00a0 Washington Street from downtown\u00a0Indianapolis.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

To make it wider, for two years starting in 1902, it was rebuilt for a first time.\u00a0 In order to increase the size of its roadbed, the old National Road covered bridge that came in at an angle to its western terminus, had had to be\u00a0 torn down.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 1870 bridge did not last long. On March 26, 1913, it\u00a0 looked like this an hour before\u00a0 it collapsed.\u00a0 In the background, is the Uneeda Biscuit factory that began life in 1821 as first Acme Milling and then Acme Evans the makers of the regionally famous EZ Bake Flour.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

A year later, in 1914, the\u00a0Washington St bridge was rebuilt where it served until 1982 before it was closed to cars. It became the esplanade that it is today to make it a part of White River State Park in 1994.<\/span><\/p>\n

With breakthrough research help from former Indiana State museum history researcher and <\/span>Greenfield Tourism Director, Brigette Cook Jones<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Below is the bridge I go over almost every day on my way from the zoo to downtown Indianapolis. Now… read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83,128,149,73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-indianapolis","category-indianapolis-history","category-indy-points-interest","category-uncategorized-2"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3VuuR-3sF","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17807,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2024\/03\/14\/indianapolis-the-original-gateway-to-the-frontier\/","url_meta":{"origin":13309,"position":0},"title":"Proclamation – The Original Gateway to the Frontier, Indianapolis","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"March 14, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Whereas the National Road from Washington DC entered the frontier of the West after crossing the White River at this location in 1834; and, Whereas, before the river was widened, as a wood covered bridge, this marks the spot where it met the Washington Street bridge that had been built\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17951,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2025\/07\/26\/nbg-indianapolis-history-index\/","url_meta":{"origin":13309,"position":1},"title":"NBG Indianapolis History Index","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"July 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Athenaeum (Das Deustsche Haus) Built 1893 Bicycle Stair Ramp at the Athenaeum Boston based Sasaki Associates Transformation of the Indianapolis Riverfront! Cadillac Co. of Indiana\/Automobile College Carl Fisher\u2019s original bike shop on Pennsylvania Ave Carl Fisher saturated Indianapolis with the Eagle HiWheel Indianapolis and the Nation, the Houses that Carl\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis History"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis History","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis-history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13553,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2018\/10\/06\/indianapolis-water-co-first-1870-water-pumphouse-in-white-river-state-parlk\/","url_meta":{"origin":13309,"position":2},"title":"Indianapolis Water Co First 1870 Water Pumphouse in White River State Park","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"October 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This one-story, brick structure with slate roof and copper finishings, sits in White River State Park next to the White River at the approach to the old\u00a0Washington Street Bridge that connects, as an esplanade, to the\u00a0Indianapolis Zoo. It\u00a0was built\u00a0 in 1870. \u00a0 \u00a0 In 1908 the\u00a0Indianapolis Water Company, which bought\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/43233559_2170149443272756_2713900898454601728_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/43233559_2170149443272756_2713900898454601728_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/43233559_2170149443272756_2713900898454601728_n.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/43233559_2170149443272756_2713900898454601728_n.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15316,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2020\/02\/21\/gateway-to-the-frontier-the-nat-road-bridge-over-the-white-river-1834-1902\/","url_meta":{"origin":13309,"position":3},"title":"The National Road Bridge over the White River 1834-1902, Gateway to the Frontier","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"February 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Designed by architect, William Wernwag, the National Road Bridge over the White River was completed in 1834. Like most bridges of its day, it had a roof to keep its wooden road bed from rotting out because of rain and snow. By the late 1860\u2019s, however, a bigger bridge was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Measurement-across-W-River.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Measurement-across-W-River.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Measurement-across-W-River.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15216,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2020\/01\/17\/2020-mayors-ride-to-indianapolis-bicentennial-to-end-on-epic-bridge\/","url_meta":{"origin":13309,"position":4},"title":"2020 Mayors’ Ride to Indianapolis Bicentennial to End on Epic Bridge","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"January 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Our 2020 National Mayors' Ride from Washington DC, San Francisco and the 17 major cities in between will end here at\u00a0White River State Park\u00a0in Indianapolis for its Bicentennial on this much storied bridge\/esplanade.\u00a0 An 1870 construction, it was rebuilt in 1902 to replace the adjacent 1834 wood covered bridge that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-01-16-at-12.54.11-PM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-01-16-at-12.54.11-PM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-01-16-at-12.54.11-PM.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15226,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2020\/01\/20\/2020-mayors-ride-to-indianapolis-bicentennial-to-end-on-epic-bridge-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":13309,"position":5},"title":"2020 Mayors\u2019 Ride to Indianapolis Bicentennial to End on Epic Bridge","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"January 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Our 2020 National Mayors\u2019 Ride from Washington DC, San Francisco and the 17 major cities in between will end here at\u00a0White River State Park\u00a0in Indianapolis for its Bicentennial on this much storied bridge\/esplanade.\u00a0 An 1870 construction, it was rebuilt in 1902 to replace the adjacent 1834 wood covered bridge that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis Bicentennial"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis Bicentennial","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis-bicentennial\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-01-16-at-12.54.11-PM.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-01-16-at-12.54.11-PM.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-01-16-at-12.54.11-PM.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13309"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17993,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13309\/revisions\/17993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}