Historic Bridges of the U.S. | Tivoli Island Bridge

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Photos

General View Of Bridge, Looking South

The Tivoli Island Bridge was part of a four span bridge across the Crawfish River in Milford, Wisconsin. When it was replaced, two of the spans came here, one reportedly went to Fort Atkinson and the whereabouts of the fourth span are lost to history.

Photo taken by Martin Stupich, June 20, 1987, for HAER

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The West Face

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in August 2008

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View Of Bridge, Looking East

Milford replaced the troublesome 4-span bridge with a single span, 12 panel Pratt through truss of 190' by 16' built by Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Co. (It was replaced in the 1960's.)

Photo taken by Martin Stupich, June 20, 1987, for HAER

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Barrel View Looking Southeast

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in August 2008

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Oblique View Of South Side Of Bridge, Looking Northeast

The bridge was narrowed considerably when moved here, the cross beams were allowed to extend outward equally on both sides.

Photo taken by Martin Stupich, June 20, 1987, for HAER

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Facts

Overview: Bowstring pony truss bridge over Rock River on Pedestrian Walkway in Watertown
Location: Watertown, Jefferson County, Wisconsin
History: Built 1877 over Crawfish River in Milford; Moved to Watertown 1906
Builder: - King Bridge Co. of Cleveland, Ohio
Design: "In 1866, Zenas King from Ohio received a patent for an innovative tubular iron-arch design. Increasing the sectional area of the top chord toward the ends of the arch, he claimed, strengthened the bridge. Built c. 1877, the Tivoli Island Bridge incorporated this design principle. The King Iron & Bridge Manufacturing Company in Cleveland, Ohio, popularized the tubular iron-arch by numerous examples throughout the United States.
"Apparently, the Tivoli Island Bridge was originally part of a four-span structure over the Crawfish River in the village of Milford. In 1906, two Watertown residents arranged to have the two-span section moved to its present location at Tivoli Island. In Wisconsin, the bridge is one of only seven remaining bowstrings and the last example of a tubular arch design."
--Diane Kromm, Wisconsin Historic Bridge Recording Project, July 1987
Dimensions: Length of largest span: 55.8 ft.
Total length: 105..8 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude: +43.18940, -88.70650 (decimal degrees)
43°11'22" N, 88°42'23" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates: 16/361332/4783261 (zone/easting/northing)
USGS topographic map: Watertown: UTM 16.423165.4783100
Inventory number: BH 37110 (Bridgehunter.com ID)