The High Bridge Goes Out

Wausau’s High Bridge was built in 1892 between the East Bank of the Wisconsin and Clark’s Island. Its soaring structure was necessitated by the need to clear the guard locks and tangle of railroad tracks on the east side of the river. The bridge was what was known as a steel deck truss meaning that the roadway ran on top of a complex system of steel braces as opposed to through them. Though strong and modern for its time, this kind of bridge required a good deal of care to keep it in serviceable condition, care which it did not receive.  By the early 1900s, Wausau’s High Bridge was not in a good state. Years of constant use and neglect had taken their toll and the bridge was rapidly becoming unsafe. As early as 1909 the city engineer reported extensive rusting and decay describing many parts as “practically destroyed” due to lack of maintenance.¹ By 1911, the bridge was in such deplorable condition that heavy traffic would cause it to visibly shake and sway. A further inspection by City Engineer Gowan confirmed that the bridge was near the point of failure and a police order was issued forbidding drivers to cross the bridge any faster than a slow walk.² Despite what appeared to be a serious issue with the bridge it took a further year before it was even brought before the city council. In April of 1912, after repeated warnings from Mr. Gowan the matter of what to do about the bridge was finally set to go before the council for discussion.³ This, as it would turn out, was too little too late.

Wausau's High Bridge before the 1912 flood. MCHS Photo Collection
 

The Flood of 1912       

July of 1912 brought the most catastrophic flood in the history of Wausau. On July 23rd, 1912 over 11 inches of rain fell at Merrill over the course of just 24 hours raising the level of the Wisconsin.⁴ The following morning the dam at Grandfather Falls gave out,⁵ shortly thereafter, the head of water released at Grandfather Falls hit Brokaw. Millworkers opened floodgates in an attempt to save the Brokaw dam but it was too late, the dam went out around 10 pm⁶ on the night of the 24^th  sending a wall of water and an estimated three to four million board feet of timber crashing downriver towards Wausau.⁷  At Wausau, the floodwaters demolished the Leahy Beebe Bridge and continued down toward the slough and the High Bridge. Reaching the guardlock at the base of the bridge, the floodwaters paused for a moment as lumber, railroad cars, and even small buildings piled up against the lock, searching for a way through.⁸ The water rose rapidly behind the jam of debris, inundating the railroad tracks on the east end of the guardlock, washing them out, and scouring a new channel around the obstruction. Directly in the path of this new channel was the east pier of the High Bridge.

The High Bridge Goes Out       

The High Bridge, already in poor condition from years of neglect, offered little resistance to the onslaught. In short order, the pier collapsed. The morning of the 25^th revealed the full extent of the damage to the bridge. When the east pier let go it had remained attached to the bridge superstructure above it. This caused the eastern approach to collapse into a pile of rubble that was then swept away by the floodwaters. Meanwhile, the easternmost span of the bridge, pulled by the falling pier, swung down into the raging torrent but somehow remained attached to the rest of the superstructure, dangling precariously by a few twisted girders. A Wausau Gas Co. gas main running across the bridge was severed by the collapse⁹ but thankfully the leaking gas never found an ignition source and the company was able to shut off the supply in relatively short order, averting further catastrophe.

The High Bridge in the immediate aftermath of the flood. Note the level of destruction not only to the bridge itself but its stone approach as well. MCHS Photo Collection

A Clever Solution       

In the aftermath of the flood, with many of the bridges in the area damaged or completely gone, restoring safe river crossings became a priority. By August 6^th, City Engineer Gowan had drawn up plans for the restoration of the High Bridge and submitted them to the city council who quickly approved them.¹⁰ Among the other bridges damaged in the flood was Wausau’s Tannery Bridge. Two of the Tannery Bridge’s three spans had been carried away by the floodwaters and were no longer useable. The surviving span, though in good condition, was also unusable because the flood had significantly widened the channel near Oak Island, necessitating a new longer bridge.¹¹ Mr. Gowan’s plan was extremely novel, rather than simply scrap the surviving Tannery Bridge span, he proposed it be salvaged and fitted to the High Bridge in place of the partially collapsed eastern span. The project drew a considerable amount of public attention, especially when it came time to deal with the partially collapsed eastern span. In order to disassemble the damaged span, workmen were required to clamber down the steep incline and prise it apart by hand while hanging 20 feet in the air, sometimes standing upon the very board or beam they were attempting to dislodge.¹²

Workmen, equipped with long poles, attempt to dislodge debris from the dangling span of the High Bridge. MCHS Photo Collection

Meanwhile, back on dry land the street department was busy hauling loads of dirt and gravel to restore the bridge’s approach. Street Commissioner Ole Smith estimated that the project took around 1,000 wagonloads fill to replace that which was lost in the flood.¹³ Repairs were carried out at a fast clip but they were not without setbacks. On September 1st, the river again flooded and more damage was done to the bridge. This time it was not the flood that caused the damage but the crowds of people that gathered on the partially repaired structure to watch the floodwaters pass underneath. An inspection after the flood revealed that the crowds had so overloaded the bridge that it had settled considerably and would now require multiple new deck stringers as well.¹⁴ Despite the delays, by October the bridge was nearing completion. By the 15th, the washout had been filled, the approach rebuilt, and much of the ironwork was on site awaiting installation.¹⁵ The Bridge opened to foot traffic just three days later, the Wausau Herald noting that it had, “a decided hump” where the salvaged span from Tannery Bridge had been grafted in.¹⁶ While the repaired bridge may not have been the prettiest crossing to grace Wausau’s skyline it seems to have been more than capable of serving its intended purpose. The repaired High Bridge would continue to serve the community until 1928 when it was replaced by Memorial Bridge.

The Tannery Bridge, one span of which was salvaged to repair the High Bridge. There are no
known photos showing the High Bridge with the salvaged span in place. MCHS Photo Collection