Coplay

Egypt

Fullerton

Hokendauqua

Mickleys

West Catasauqua

Northampton

Catasauqua

Copyright 1997 by Karen Gensey

Crane Iron Company Bridge

Echoes Around Us

by Karen Gensey

Using anthracite coal as fuel to produce iron attributed to the commercial success of the Crane Iron Company, established in Catasauqua in 1840. While the first loads of iron ore were brought to the works from Hanover Township, other valuable ore deposits were discovered in Upper Macungie and South Whitehall Townships on the west side of the Lehigh River. At that time, the only crossing over the Lehigh River was a chain bridge built in 1824, where the Race Street bridge now stands. Because of its insecurity, the structure could not withstand the immense weight of wagon loads of ore pulled by teams of horses. The ore had to be unloaded and ferried across the river to the furnaces until 1845, when the Crane Iron Company built a covered wooden bridge for its own use. The people of the town were fascinated with the manufacturing process and often gathered at the bridge house to view the evening casting. What a sight to behold when the horse and wagon teams arrived from the mines! Sometimes more than two miles in length, the procession stretched from the Crane works scales to Eberhard's quarry on the road to Mickley's. The excessive wagon traffic and road damage caused by their weight often made the roads impassable to farmers who demanded a remedy to the situation. As a result, the Thomas Iron Company in Hokendauqua and the Crane Iron Company united in a joint effort to construct the Catasauqua & Fogelsville Railroad in 1856. Trackage was laid across the canal bridge and the Crane Company's wooden covered bridge, intersecting the newly built Lehigh Valley Railroad tracks, to the C & F Railroad freight station where ore, coal, limestone and iron were handled to meet the furnace needs. A great flood destroyed the bridge on June 5, 1862 when the Lehigh rose 27 feet above its normal level. A contract to rebuild both the canal and river bridges was awarded to Charles D. Fuller. The new bridge was also a wooden covered structure wide enough to accommodate the railroad tracks and a carriage-way. At the time, the only other river crossing from Catasauqua to West Catasauqua was the covered bridge at Race Street, which was a toll bridge. Being a free public bridge, the Crane bridge quickly became the favorite and most direct route to the west side. In 1892, the Race Street toll bridge became a free county bridge. By 1904, production of the Crane plant increased to such an extent that trains were crossing the bridge hourly, a potential hazard for pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages. Although the bridge was still quite substantial, it became too light to handle the larger modern railroad cars that carried heavier loads. In 1904, the Crane Iron Company decided to replace the wooden bridge with a narrow steel girder bridge for railroad traffic only. The American Bridge Company of Buffalo, New York, was awarded the contract to build the new girder railway bridge spanning the Lehigh River. Under the supervision of G. H. Arnold, first, a girder bridge was constructed over the canal in May. Next, the existing piers were repaired and strengthened. Although the bridge was scheduled to be completed by November 1, delays in the arrival of the steel work postponed the majority of the work until November. At that time, most of the wood siding was stripped, the roof dismantled, and portions of the flooring removed to allow concrete repairs to the piers. Carriages could no longer traverse the bridge. Catasauquans were generally in favor of the new steel bridge. Many believed the old structure was an eyesore and detrimental to the appearance of the town by blocking the view of the town from passing travelers. Villagers were fascinated with the bridge work and curiosity drew crowds to watch its progress. In the beginning of December 1904, the carpenters of the American Bridge Company built a tool house on the iron wharf where they received shipments of wood for the bridge's underpinning. Steel girders for the new Crane bridge, each weighing 18 tons, arrived in three gondola cars. The western span was placed in position while onlookers marveled at how the bridge could be built while the structure of the old one remained on the piers. While the work was being done, special arrangements were made for Lehigh Valley Railroad passengers and freight to be shuttled to the east side by a Crane company engine operated by John T. McKeever pulling a special combination passenger-baggage car. Workmen found the frequency of trains a nuisance to their progress. A carriage was built on the old framework which carried the steel girders to their position on the old piers inside the framework of the old bridge. On the east side, falsework was placed underneath to switch cars to the railroad siding on the iron wharf. The railroad tracks were placed in the center of the new bridge with open sill work as the only flooring. On December 18-19, the first two spans were placed into position, stopping all railroad traffic for three days. During this time, Hoffman & Follweiler's sleigh transported Lehigh Valley railroad passengers to and from the station over the Race Street bridge. The third span was placed on December 22. During the entire project, extreme cold and continuous storms slowed the progress. The day after the final span was placed on January 5, a heavy downpour raised the river, and chunks of ice jammed carrying away some of the lumber. The remainder of the old framework was removed in mid-January. Riveting and painting completed the project. The closing of the Crane bridge to carriages and pedestrians generated great concern about the adverse effect on local trade. The inconvenience of having to detour to the Hokendauqua or Race Street bridges prompted local businessmen to rally for a public bridge at Pine Street, which became a reality in 1906.

Copyright 1997 by Karen Gensey