I felt like it might have been a bit of overkill but I enjoyed the research and writing so much. All weekend it was the only thing I wanted to do and I had to keep pushing myself back to the novel. Finally, I just said to hell with it, I need a newsletter so just write the thing and be done with it. For now. I want to go to the Missouri Historical Society or other places to get more info. Maybe I can learn more about this bridge or the previous ones. I have no idea why I care so much but I was seriously obsessed by this bridge from the moment I laid eyes on it, and I had to find it. And the more I learn, the cooler it becomes!
Thanks! It really did work out pretty nicely. And it has inspired me to get out and do more exploration. Before I found the bridge, I was just visiting places I already wanted to use in my novel. Now I want to go to all kinds of places in the city, whether they're for the novel or not, and that's why I created a new section of the newsletter to hold those stories specifically.
I went out a few days ago to find the origin of the RDP. I located it but I couldn't see it because of all the brush, so I'll have to go back in the winter. I did grab a couple of pics of the river where it's somewhat natural and not channelized (and honestly, that's not easy to find!), and I plan to do a whole photo essay on it one of these days!
Hi Jackie! I love your stories! After re-reading about the rusty bridge the other day, I started poking around that area of town on Google Maps. What do you know about another bridge (an old wooden one?) about a half mile west of there, past Knox? It's about about even with where Clifton and Wilson come down from the neighborhood, and where Mitchell descends onto Manchester on the northern side. I recently learned that there was once a Clifton Heights train station when there were commuter trains 100+ years ago. Perhaps it's still from that time?
Hi Amy! Thanks for your interest in what I write! I am vaguely familiar with that bridge and can see something on Google Maps that is probably it, but I haven't tried climbing around back there behind that old shopping center to find it. I never saw any reference to that specific bridge (then again, I never found much about the one I researched, as it was not very noteworthy—just a utilitarian bridge for Laclede Christy to get to the RR tracks and for their staff to move back and forth.)
I suspect the one near Knox served a similar purpose. My best guess is that it was built around the same time as the one at Manchester and Hampton, c. 1924, after they completed the channelization of the River Des Peres. What I do know is that there was a train station right around Hampton (the first one west of downtown), and I would find it odd that there was another one so close, but it's possible. There were also a bunch of wooden bridges across the (old) river for the clay industry and other factories, but those would have been torn out when they did the channelization project.
I doubt this is very helpful but it's all I know. If you learn anything more about the Knox bridge - or have photos - please reach out to me at jackie@jackiedana.com.
I enjoyed your history/travel log/bridge/stinky river story. It is fun to follow a rabbit trail of research sometimes.
I felt like it might have been a bit of overkill but I enjoyed the research and writing so much. All weekend it was the only thing I wanted to do and I had to keep pushing myself back to the novel. Finally, I just said to hell with it, I need a newsletter so just write the thing and be done with it. For now. I want to go to the Missouri Historical Society or other places to get more info. Maybe I can learn more about this bridge or the previous ones. I have no idea why I care so much but I was seriously obsessed by this bridge from the moment I laid eyes on it, and I had to find it. And the more I learn, the cooler it becomes!
Appreciated the way a random discovery became fodder for your bigger story — that's real "creative flow." (River puns are entirely unintentional!)
Thanks! It really did work out pretty nicely. And it has inspired me to get out and do more exploration. Before I found the bridge, I was just visiting places I already wanted to use in my novel. Now I want to go to all kinds of places in the city, whether they're for the novel or not, and that's why I created a new section of the newsletter to hold those stories specifically.
I’ve always wondered what the RDP’s backstory was! Thanks for sleuthing it out and sharing some history :)
I went out a few days ago to find the origin of the RDP. I located it but I couldn't see it because of all the brush, so I'll have to go back in the winter. I did grab a couple of pics of the river where it's somewhat natural and not channelized (and honestly, that's not easy to find!), and I plan to do a whole photo essay on it one of these days!
Hi Jackie! I love your stories! After re-reading about the rusty bridge the other day, I started poking around that area of town on Google Maps. What do you know about another bridge (an old wooden one?) about a half mile west of there, past Knox? It's about about even with where Clifton and Wilson come down from the neighborhood, and where Mitchell descends onto Manchester on the northern side. I recently learned that there was once a Clifton Heights train station when there were commuter trains 100+ years ago. Perhaps it's still from that time?
Hi Amy! Thanks for your interest in what I write! I am vaguely familiar with that bridge and can see something on Google Maps that is probably it, but I haven't tried climbing around back there behind that old shopping center to find it. I never saw any reference to that specific bridge (then again, I never found much about the one I researched, as it was not very noteworthy—just a utilitarian bridge for Laclede Christy to get to the RR tracks and for their staff to move back and forth.)
I suspect the one near Knox served a similar purpose. My best guess is that it was built around the same time as the one at Manchester and Hampton, c. 1924, after they completed the channelization of the River Des Peres. What I do know is that there was a train station right around Hampton (the first one west of downtown), and I would find it odd that there was another one so close, but it's possible. There were also a bunch of wooden bridges across the (old) river for the clay industry and other factories, but those would have been torn out when they did the channelization project.
I doubt this is very helpful but it's all I know. If you learn anything more about the Knox bridge - or have photos - please reach out to me at jackie@jackiedana.com.