Not so long ago, modern design came to Texas highways in the form of sturdy iron bridges. Longtime Denton residents still remember how much coaxing it took to get a young team over the rattling planks of a wooden bridge, or a low-water crossing in the spring.

The Old Alton Bridge near Copper Canyon was among the last remaining through-truss bridges in Denton County when the Texas Department of Transportation declared it unsafe, as it did with most of the state’s iron bridges in the mid-1980s. Built in 1884 by King Iron Bridge Manufacturing Company, Old Alton was the first venture for Denton history lovers, such as Taylor and Mildred Hawk, to rescue an old bridge.

After being listed in the National Register of Historic Places and becoming part of the Elm Fork Trail, Old Alton inspired further preservation efforts. Two other bridges have since been listed in the National Register. The Rector Road Bridge over Clear Creek was moved from Sanger to the H. Guyer High School, where it spans an environmentally sensitive area. The pony-truss Gregory Road Bridge over Duck Creek sits at a lonely spot near the Denton-Cooke county line. In all, 17 bridges are chronicled in a map available online at www.dentoncounty.com.

Unlike Old Alton and the FM 428 Bridge, which was restored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Greenbelt Corridor, the remaining bridges must be moved in order to be preserved. The Denton County Historical Commission has a committee dedicated to finding new homes for them. Dr. Rynell Novak, who chairs the Historic Bridges and Structures Committee of the Denton County Historical Commission, says time is still on their side to find ways to save the bridges for public use.

By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe :: Photography By Adam Fish