List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Mississippi facts for kids

Did you know that some bridges and tunnels are so special they get listed in a super important record? In Mississippi, there are many amazing old bridges and tunnels that are part of the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect them because they are important parts of history and engineering!

What is the National Register of Historic Places?

The National Register of Historic Places is like a special club for buildings, places, and structures that are important to American history. When a bridge or building is added to this list, it means it has a unique story to tell. It could be very old, built in a special way, or connected to important events or people.

Why are these bridges important?

These bridges in Mississippi are important for many reasons. They show us how people built things a long time ago. They also tell us about how towns grew and how people traveled. Many of these bridges are examples of cool engineering from the past. They often use special designs like "trusses" or "arches" that were very clever for their time.

Cool Old Bridges You Should Know About

Mississippi has many historic bridges. Here are a few examples of these amazing structures:

• The Big Black River Railroad Bridge near Bovina and Edwards was built in 1917. It's an "open-spandrel arch" bridge. This means it has a curved shape underneath with open spaces, making it look very graceful.

• The Byram Bridge near Byram was built around 1905. It's a "twin-tower swinging suspension bridge." Imagine a bridge that can swing open to let boats pass! This design was very advanced for its time.

• The Columbus Bridge in Columbus was built between 1925 and 1927. It uses a "Warren truss" design and can also swing open. Trusses are strong frameworks of triangles that help bridges hold a lot of weight.

• The Enterprise Bridge in Enterprise was built around 1925. It's a "Warren polygonal pony truss" bridge. A "pony truss" means the framework is on the sides but doesn't go over the top of the road.

• The Mississippi River Bridge in Vicksburg is a huge bridge built from 1928 to 1930. It's a "cantilevered truss span," which is a very strong design used for long bridges over big rivers like the Mississippi.

• Stuckey's Bridge near Meridian was built in 1901. It's a "Stearns through truss" bridge. "Through truss" means the road goes through the middle of the truss framework.

• The Woodburn Bridge near Indianola was built around 1916. It's a "Pratt truss" bridge that can also swing open. Pratt trusses are another common and strong type of bridge design.

• The Yellow Creek Bridge near Waynesboro was built in 1910. It's a "Pratt pony truss" bridge, similar to the Enterprise Bridge, with its side trusses not extending above the roadway.

Bridges That Are No Longer Here

Sadly, some historic bridges are no longer standing. They might have been removed because they were too old, unsafe, or a new bridge was built in their place. Even though they are gone, they are still remembered on the National Register of Historic Places because of their past importance.

• The Confederate Avenue Steel Arch Bridge in Vicksburg was built in 1903 but was removed in 2002.
• The Hickahala Creek Bridge near Senatobia was built in 1926 and removed in 1996.
• The Rockport Bridge near Georgetown was built in 1910 and removed in 1999.
• The Waynesboro Bridge near Waynesboro was built in 1910 and removed in 2004.

These bridges, whether still standing or gone, remind us of Mississippi's rich history and the amazing engineering feats of the past.

Images for kids

• 

  Big Black River Railroad Bridge

• 

  Columbus Bridge

• 

  Enterprise Bridge

• 

  R.H. Henry Bridge

• 

  Keesler Bridge

• 

  Mahned Bridge, underside camelback truss

• 

  Mississippi River Bridge

• 

  Motley Slough Bridge

• 

  Shubuta Bridge

• 

  Stuckey's Bridge

• 

  Tibbee Road Bridge

• 

  Woodburn Bridge

• 

  Yellow Creek Bridge

• 

  Confederate Avenue Steel Arch Bridge