Dey Road Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dey Road Bridge
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Eastern end of the bridge. The current bridge is visible on the left edge of the image.
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 0.35 miles east of U.S. Route 24, west of Defiance, Ohio |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1906 |
| Architect | Massillon Bridge Company |
| Architectural style | Pratt through truss bridge |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000095 |
| Added to NRHP | February 5, 1999 |
The Dey Road Bridge is a historic bridge located near Defiance, Ohio, in the United States. It stretches across the Tiffin River. This bridge was built a long time ago, in 1906, and is now considered a special historic site. It's a great example of old engineering and has an interesting story.
Contents
What is the Dey Road Bridge?
The Dey Road Bridge is a type of bridge called a truss bridge. Truss bridges use a special design of connected triangles, called a truss, to make them very strong. This helps them hold up a lot of weight and span long distances. The Dey Road Bridge is specifically a Pratt through truss bridge. This means the road goes through the middle of the truss structure, with the main supports above the roadway.
Building the Bridge
Before this bridge, there was an earlier toll bridge built in 1835 across the Tiffin River near a place called Brunersburg. But that bridge was destroyed by a big flood!
The current Dey Road Bridge was built in 1906. It was made by a company called the Massillon Bridge Company. They were experts at building bridges back then. The bridge is mostly made of strong iron and sits on solid concrete supports.
A Landmark for Surveyors
Just one year after it was built, in 1907, the Dey Road Bridge became important for surveying. Surveying is when people measure and map out land. A surveyor from the USGS (which is a science agency in the U.S. government) placed a special marker, called a benchmark, on the bridge's northwestern side. This benchmark helped them measure heights and locations in the area.
A Historic Landmark
In 1999, the Dey Road Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list of places in the United States that are important because of their history, architecture, or engineering. The bridge qualified because of its amazing engineering design from the early 1900s.
The Bridge Today
When it was added to the National Register, the bridge was no longer being used for cars. Today, it's known as the "Old Dey Bridge." It's closed to car traffic, but people can still walk across it. The bridge is even mentioned in plans for interesting places to visit in the city of Defiance. It's a cool spot to see a piece of history!
