Pope Street Bridge (Napa County)

The Pope Street Bridge is stone arch span across the Napa River located at the northern outskirts of the city of St. Helena. The Pope Street Bridge is one of the oldest active road bridges in California and was traffic during 1894. The blog cover photo was sourced from the application to place Pope Street Bridge in the National Register of Historic Places taken during 1970 by Donald F. Groom.

The history of the Pope Street Bridge

The Pope Street Bridge was commissioned by the Napa County Supervisors and constructed during 1894 by contractor R.H. Pithie. The Pope Street Bridge is a 175-foot-long stone triple arch design which cost $14,500 to construct. The dedication plaque can be seen affixed to the Pope Street Bridge in 1970 photo by Donald F. Groom.

The Pope Street Bridge can be seen under construction during 1894 in a photo from the Napa County Engineer's Office.

The Pope Street Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 5, 1972. The Pope Street Bridge can be seen in a series of 1970 photos by George F. Groom taken for the application for the structure to be added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Pope Street Bridge can be seen crossing the Napa River facing south from Silverado Trail in a modern view. Despite it's age the Pope Street Bridge carries an 18-foot-wide road deck which can accommodate two standard sized vehicles passing each other.

Comments

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80. This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail. Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range. The first documented wagon crossi...

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

When California State Route 41 was commissioned during August 1934 it was aligned along the then existing Fresno-Yosemite Road north of the San Joaquin River. Within the Sierra Nevada foothills of Madera County, the original highway alignment ran past Bates Station via what is now Madera County Road 209, part of eastern Road 406 and Road 207. Bates Station was a stage station plotted during the early 1880s at what was the intersection of the Coarsegold Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road. The modern alignment bypassing Bates Station to the east would be reopened to traffic during late 1939. Part 1; the history of California State Route 41 past Bates Station Bates Station was featured as one of the many 1875-1899 Madera County era towns in the May 21, 1968, Madera Tribune . Post Office Service at Bates Station is noted to have been established on November 23, 1883 and ran continuously until October 31, 1903. The postal name was sourced...

The William Flinn (not Flynn) Highway - Pittsburgh's Misspelled Street

For decades if you traveled along PA Route 8 in Pittsburgh's North Hills suburbs, you would have noticed signs that read "William Flynn Highway" at every intersection. Even today, many businesses and residences have their addresses listed as XXXX William Flynn Highway. However, it's not William Flynn Highway, it is William FLINN Highway - and the gentleman who it is named for has a long and storied past in Pittsburgh's infrastructure history. William Flinn was born in England in 1851; however later that year, his family emigrated to the United States and would settle in Pittsburgh. A 10-year-old school dropout, Flinn grew interested in politics and would join the Allegheny County Republican Party in 1877 as a ward commissioner and a seat on the Board of Fire Commissioners. Flinn would serve in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives and Senate from 1877 to 1902. (1) Flinn along with James J. Booth would found the Booth and Flinn construction firm ...