Reuben Partridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Reuben Partridge
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| Born | September 10, 1832 |
| Died | July 17, 1900 Marysville, Ohio, US
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| Other names | "The Bridge Builder" |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Years active | 1855-1900 |
| Known for | Bridges |
Reuben L. Partridge (born September 10, 1823 – died July 17, 1900) was an amazing American engineer. He lived in Union County, Ohio, and was known as "The Bridge Builder" because he built so many bridges!
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Reuben Partridge was born on September 10, 1823, in Wilmington, New York. His parents were Cyrus and Lucinda Partridge, and he had three brothers and sisters. When Reuben was young, around 13 years old, his family moved to Franklin County, Ohio. Sadly, his father passed away.
After his father's death, Reuben and his mother moved to Marysville, Ohio. His older half-brother, Rowland Lee, was a skilled wagon maker there. Reuben went to school for a short time. Then, he spent more than eight years learning to build carriages with his family. This experience taught him a lot about building strong structures. After a while, he became very interested in building bridges. On October 20, 1846, Reuben married Maria Wolford, who was from Marysville. They had six children together.
Building Better Bridges
Back in Reuben's time, many local bridges weren't very strong. They would sometimes fall apart when heavy rains caused rivers to flood. Reuben saw this problem and decided to do something about it. He worked hard to design a new system of trusses and braces. These new designs made bridges much stronger, able to handle heavy rain and even vehicle traffic.
In 1855, Reuben built the very first self-supporting bridge in Union County. This was a big deal! On June 11, 1872, he even received a special paper called a patent for his new "Partridge Truss" design. This patent meant his unique U-shaped bridge design was officially recognized as his invention.
By 1882, Reuben Partridge had built almost all the bridges in Union County – about 90% of them! By 1883, he had built over 125 bridges in total. Most of these were wooden covered bridges using his special "Partridge truss" design.
In 1886, Reuben moved to Columbus, Ohio. There, he became the Vice President of the Columbus Bridge Company and worked there for ten years. While at this company, he also designed and built some bridges made of iron.
Reuben moved back to Marysville in 1896. He lived in a house he had designed and built himself for his wife. He passed away four years later, on July 17, 1900. He had broken his leg after falling through a bridge he was helping to take down. During his life, Reuben Partridge built more than 200 bridges across Union County and central Ohio. He was truly a master builder!
Reuben's Other Contributions
Besides building bridges, Reuben Partridge was also an active member of his community. He was part of the first local militia, which was like a volunteer army. He also served on the Marysville city council and helped manage his township. He strongly supported local veterans who had fought in the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. Reuben is buried at the Oakdale Cemetery in Marysville.
Historic Bridges Still Standing
Reuben Partridge built four of the six historic wooden covered bridges that are still standing in Union County today. These amazing bridges are:
- The Bigelow Bridge (built in 1873)
- The Cullbertson Bridge (built in 1872)
- The Pottersburg Bridge (built in 1872)
- The Spain Creek Bridge (built in 1883)
Another bridge he built, the Reed Bridge (1884), sadly collapsed in 1993. Outside of Union County, the Bergstresser Covered Bridge (1887) near Canal Winchester, Ohio is also still standing. This bridge is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Remembering Reuben Partridge
In 2010, the city of Marysville honored Reuben Partridge with a large public mural. This beautiful painting is in Uptown Marysville at 40°14.245′N 83°22.022′W / 40.237417°N 83.367033°W. It was painted by an artist named Curtis Goldstein and helped paid for by a grant from Dayton Power & Light.
On February 22, 2021, the house Reuben Partridge designed and built in Marysville was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. This shows how important his work and life were to the area.
