June 1883 – Thompson and a group of citizens went before the Board of Supervisors to request money for a bridge. There had been no bridge since 1843 when the old one washed away.
July 1883 – Citizens went to the Board again. This time, they were allowed $3000. $1500 would come from the 1883 county budget and $1500 would come from the 1884 budget.
About the Bridge:
David Zirkle was to handle the money for the bridge project.
The bridge was to be 320 feet long with 18 ft. inside clearance.
Lumber was cut from Samuel Ryman and Anderson Will property about 2 miles west of town. Top quality pine was used. Stone for the pier came from Cols Springs, about a half mile north of Broadway.
Plans for the bridge came from the engineering department of the B & O Railroad at no cost.
The base for the pier was pine logs laid crossways into the reverbed. The plans called for it to be imbedded 11 inches. The townspeople began complaining that was not deep enough. The construction people assured the people that the plans had a typographical error, and it was imbedded 11 ft. into the riverbed.
The piling for the support of the pier was driven to a depth of 103 ft below the riverbed before hitting solid bottom.
