Ellsworth Ranch Bridge

Ellsworth Ranch Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	130th St. over the East Fork of the Des Moines River
Nearest city	Armstrong, Iowa
Coordinates	43°27′36″N 94°34′49″W / 43.46000°N 94.58028°WCoordinates: 43°27′36″N 94°34′49″W / 43.46000°N 94.58028°W
Built	1895
Architect	King Bridge Company
Architectural style	Pratt/Warren through truss
MPS	Highway Bridges of Iowa MPS
NRHP Reference #	98000869[1]
Added to NRHP	July 15, 1998

Ellsworth Ranch Bridge is a truss bridge located in rural Emmet County, Iowa, United States, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Armstrong. The Emmet County Board of Supervisors received a petition in January 1895 for a bridge across the East Fork of the Des Moines River in Lincoln Township. They gave their approval in April of the same year, and in May the board adopted the plans of the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio. However, they rejected all the bids as too high, so they reduced the length of the span from 100 feet (30 m) to 80 feet (24 m).^[2] King won the contract for this and two other bridges for $3,400.^[2] The Ellsworth Ranch Bridge was completed later in 1895. The bridge includes elements of both the Pratt and Warren configurations in its single span. A minor reconstruction was completed in 1937, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.^[1]

References

1. National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. Clayton Fraser and John Laub. "Ellsworth Ranch Bridge" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-01-30. with photos