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The Story of a River, Its History, Features, Moods, People and Places with Particular Reference to Rock Island and the Area Above Great Falls Brought Together By
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| It is through the generosity of and sense of history that his son and heir, Ed Crouch has given his permission to reproduce here excerpts from his Father's book. We thank him. |
| BRIDGES | The first settlers were dependent
on small boats and fords as a means of crossing the rivers. Fords
on the Caney Fork River were usable about half the time. As traffic
increased it soon became necessary to operate ferries or build bridges.
Tolls were charged on both. The ferries came first. The Rock
Island and the Dillon ferries were the first to be put in operation as
the volume of traffic increased rapidly. Probably the first two bridges
on the upper Caney Fork were built soon after 1814.
The names have been listed alphabetically. No attempt has been made to list the modern bridges built since 1930. There were a number of small structures on the minor tributaries which are not on the list. |
| BEERSHEBA | across Barren Fork 5.8 miles above the mouth on the Beersheba
Road. According to John Argo the first bridge was located at the
upper end of the bluff at the lower end of nursery bottom and below the
present bridge. It was never completed but persons could walk across
it. It apparently was washed out in the flood of 1872 while under
construction.
An "iron bridge" built shortly before 1902 was destroyed by the 1902 flood. John Argo said the new bridge was built by the County after an agreement was make that other would be built in other parts of the county. Bridges built at the same time over Hickory Creek, Lusk Ford (Hgw. 70S) and Hennessee Ford were destroyed in the same flood. Following the flood the bridges were all replaced. The 1928 flood again washed out the Beersheba bridge. |
| BLANKS | crossing Rocky River 2.8 miles above the mouth was built by the Tennessee Electric Power Co. in 1916 when the Rock Island Dam was built. It is located a short distance up stream from the old Blanks Mill dam. The bridge was raised and lengthened in 1924 when the Rock Island dam was raised. |
| BRADY-
HASTON |
crossing the Calfkiller River 3 miles above the mouth and just below a spring branch on which the mill of the same name was located. The bridge was built by the County in the early part of the 20th Century and was first called "Johnson's Bridge" after the owner of the mill at that time. The bridge was raised in 1924 when the Rock Island dam was raised. (The Brady-Haston bridge served as a crossing for the wagon road from Hickory Valley to Rock Island. It is mentioned in an 1862 deed to Joseph W. Taylor.) |
| BUTTS | crossing Caney Fork 19 miles above the dam. The bridge was built in 1924 by the T.E.P. Co. Raising the dam 35 feet flooded out the Butts and adjacent fords. The bridge was washed out in the 1929 flood and replaced by the Power Co. |
| CAVE FOOT | across Calfkiller River 4.2 miles above the mouth of the river. The suspension bridge was built in 1924 by the T.E.P. Co. to replace an old bridge at a lower level. It is located just upstream from the Burroughs & Taylor Factory. This company made men's work clothes. |
| CHATTANOOGA
FOOT |
crossing Caney Fork River 20.9 miles above the Rock Island dam is very close to the old Chattanooga Ford. The suspension bridge was built in 1924 by the T.E.P. Co. It was washed out in the 1929 flood. |
| COLLINS RIVER | spans the Collins River at its mouth. The first
bridge was a timber structure. It was built by Asa Faulkner in connection
with the erection of the Falls City Cotton Mill. Mr. Faulkner employed
James McGiboney to build and operate a saw mill and grist mill at the Great
Falls before he began work on the Cotton Mill. McGiboney sawed out
all the timbers for the bridge. This bridge was destroyed in the
1902 flood.
The next bridge was a steel structure erected in connection with the construction of the first dam and power house for the Tennessee Power Co. The third bridge was erected in 1923-24 by the T.E.P. Co. in connection with raising the dam 35 feet. Perhaps of interest is the fact that the longest span in the bridge had at one time been part of a bridge across the Cumberland River in Nashville. The structure was dismantled and stored by the Nashville Bridge Company. |
| DAM BRIDGE | refers to the bridge built above the Rock Island Dam in 1915-16 crossing the Caney Fork. When the dam was raised 35 feet in 1924-25 the bridge was raised a like amount. After all preparations had been made, including installation of new columns, a crew of 250 men started from each end racing to reach the center of the bridge first for a bonus of $500 to the winners. The job was finished in 10 hours. |
| DILLON | crossing Caney Fork about 4 miles above the dam.
This was one of the two earliest bridges on the upper Caney Fork.
The bridge had 3 spans resting on rock filled log cribs. Joe Slatton said that two of the piers were visible in 1920 when the reservoir lever was very low. There is a reference to a "valuable bridge" in White Co. deed bk. O, p. 276-77, in 1846. On pages 166-67 of the same book in 1851 there is a reference to "ferry and boats." By that time the bridge was probably out of service. Florence Woods said the last man to cross the bridge was a peddler named Redder. The bridge had become "very ramshackle" and it fell as he was crossing. His horse "Doc" carried him over but Redder had a nervous breakdown and laid up for several weeks. The remains of the bridge were washed out in the flood of 1852. Spence Frank told the writer that the bridge was very old. |
| DAM BRIDGE | This refers to the bridge built above the Rock Island Dam in 1915-16 crossing the Caney Fork. When the dam was raised 35 feet in 1924-25 the bridge was raised a like amount. After all preparations had been made, including installation of new columns, a crew of 250 men started from each end racing to reach the center of the bridge first, for a bonus of $500.00 to the winners. The job was finished in 10 hours. |
| DOUBLE
BRIDGES |
17.4 miles above the dam.
One bridge crossed Caney Fork above mouth of Cane Creek and the other crossed
Cane Creek at the mouth of the creek. Both bridges were raised in
1924-25 when the dam was raised. The bridge over Caney Fork was washed
out in the 1929 flood and not replaced.
The bridges were referred to locally as the River Hill bridges. The name is that of a small community that formerly was located on the hill above the river on the White County side. |
| DRY BRANCH | spans Dry Branch about 1/2 mile from the point where it joins the Caney Fork. It is in Van Buren County. The steel was moved on barges from Yost Bridge on Rocky River. Dry Branch was built by the T.E.P. Co. in 1925. |
| FORSYTHE | spans Forsythe Branch just above the junction with Dry
Branch. It was built by the T.E.P. Co. 1925.
Note: Both of the above streams are small and the traffic was very light. |
| GILLEN | spans Cane Creek 5.1 miles above the mouth of the creek. It was built by Van Buren County sometime prior to 1925. |
| GOODBAR | The first bridge was located about
125 feet below the old Goodbar Mill Dam and about 8.9 miles above the mouth
of Rocky River. It was a covered wood bridge according to Miss Florence
Wood. She said it was built by Gumberry (?) Johnson, was very shaky
and in fact it was never really built right. It burned sometime prior
to 1923.
The second bridge, located about 1/4 mile above the Goodbar Mill. It was built in 1923 or 1924 by the State on Hgw. 30 from McMinnville to Spencer. It was one of the first concrete arch bridges built in Tennessee. Truly it is a beautiful structure. |
| GRIBBLE | spans Collins River about 13.5 miles above the mouth. It was built by Warren county. |
| HARRISON
FERRY |
spans Collins River in the upper reaches and in Warren County. The County built the bridge. It was one of the few bridges not damaged in the 1929 flood. |
| HASH FORD | on Rocky River. See Yost Bridge. |
| HENNESSEE | Bridge crossing Collins River 8.2 miles above the mouth was one of four bridges built by Warren County about 1900. All four were washed down in the 1902 flood. Nashville Bridge Co. salvaged the spans at Hennessee and rebuilt the bridge. The flood of 1929 again dropped the three spans into the river. The T.E.P. Co. had the bridge rebuilt. One new span was purchased and two spans were salvaged out of the original three. The writer understands that a new modern bridge was built at this location in the 1960's and one or more of the old spans was moved to another location. |
| HODGE | crossing Caney Fork 13.9 miles above the dam and a few hundred feet below the mouth of the Calfkiller River. It is on the Doyle-Spencer Road. The bridge was raised in 1924 by the T.E.P. Co. It was partially destroyed in the 1929 flood and rebuilt by the Power Co. |
| HIGHWAY 70S | at Rock Island is 1.1 miles above the dam. This bridge, crossing the Caney Fork, was built in the 1920's by the State. It is at the location of McClures Ford. |
| IRON FORGE | across Rocky River just below the old Iron Forge near the Rowland Ford. This is downstream fro the present Blanks Bridge. It was a covered wood bridge. The bridge broke, according to Miss Florence Woods when Sam ______, a peddler was crossing with a 6-horse team and a wagon load of goods. The driver got on the lead horse and went on to Dillons. He stayed there for several weeks - sick from the shock. The flood of 1872 washed away the remains of the bridge. |
| JOAB MILLER | across Rocky River about 1 1/2
miles downstream from the present concrete arch bridge at Goodbars.
Miss Florence Woods told the writer that a saddle belonging to Bell Miller,
sister of Joab, was in the bridge at the time it washed.
She also said that at one time the stage from Sparta crossed at McElroys (crossed the Caney Fork River), then followed the road to and crossed the Miller bridge. It then proceeded on past the Jeff Gross place and back into the main stage road (Present Hgw. 70S approximately). The stage regularly stopped at McElroys for dinner. |
| JOHNSON | on Calfkiller - See Brady-Haston Bridge. |
| JOHNSON | on Rocky River - See Joab Miller Bridge. |
| LAURELBURG | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| LOST CREEK | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| LUSK FORD | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| MARTIN'S
FERRY |
UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| MAYBERRY | on the Caney Fork - See Rock Island Bridge. |
| MITCHELL | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| MCMINNVILLE
HIGHWAY 70S |
UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| MCMINNVILLE
HIGHWAY 108 |
UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| PETER BURAM | See Rock Island Bridge. |
| RAIL ROAD | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| RENO | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| RIVER HILL | See Double Bridges. |
| ROCK ISLAND | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| SHELL'S FORD | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| SIMMONS | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| SIMPSONS | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| SPARTA
HIGHWAY 70S |
UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| SPRING
BRANCH |
UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| TOSH | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| YOST | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| YOUNGS | UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
| UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
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