Built in 1915 at a cost of $4,380 by Midland Bridge Company, the 9600 North Bridge spanning the Jordan River at 7700 West has stood stoically against time and man's effort to blow it up.
It has withstood bridge demolition practice from troops at the nearby Camp Williams base and a vandal's detonation of dynamite just beneath it in September 1984.It's been a haven for romance, a parking spot for "serious" discussions.
Divers dove from it into the Jordan.
It even had a part in the motion picture "Footloose."
With the advent of automobiles, young drivers would play "chicken" on the narrow deck.
Through it all, the through-truss bridge - one of only a few Pratt pony truss bridges in the state - still stands west of Lehi alongside the new, modern replacement bridge of concrete and steel. It's now getting a little official recognition for its longevity.
The bridge will be marked with a historical designation Thursday, May 22, as part of Public Works Week for Utah County.
Along with the Historic Utah County Courthouse, the bridge will be celebrated as a tribute to the past and a memorial to future generations.
The courthouse was built between 1920 and 1926 of granite from Little Cottonwood Canyon and limestone from Sanpete County.
The building features elaborate ornamentation, a two-story foyer with an arched ceiling and stained glass skylight panels. Double curving stairways climb from the central pavilion to the third floor mezzanine. The floors throughout are of Alaskan marble.
Joseph Nelson, the architect, gathered ideas from West Coast administration buildings and submitted plans and sketches to the original building committee in 1919. The construction firm of Rudine and Chytraus were the contractors for the Neoclassical structure.
A marker is to be installed Tuesday, May 20, on the courthouse's west stairs followed by public tours of the courthouse along with a video presentation and art exhibit in the third floor ballroom. The building recently underwent a $20 million facelift.
Also part of the Public Works Week is the ribbon cutting Thursday for a footbridge north of Thanksgiving Point, to be known as the Indian Ford Bridge. The foot bridge will link the Utah County segment of the Jordan River Parkway system with that of Salt Lake County.
Tours will be offered between 9 and 10:30 a.m. Thursday of the Provo River Parkway system. Tours of the Jordan River Parkway will be offered between noon and 3 p.m.
For more information, contact the Utah County Public Works Department at 370-8600.