Since Kansas was the base of operations for the King Bridge Company when they had factories, first in Iola and then in Topeka in the early 1870s, there are still some of the old examples of King bowstrings still around. Nebraska DOT has undertaken an extensive inventory of its historic bridges which can be found on its website.

KANSAS

1. The Austin Bowstring -1872- Chanute, Neosho County This bridge, documented in Donald Jackson’s book, “Great American Bridges and Dams “was made in the Iola factory of the King Bridge Company. It   is now located in a county park and used by pedestrians. It is one of the oldest existing bowstrings  and is cited in “Great American Bridges and Dams” by Donald C. Jackson, John Wiley & Sons 1988.

  2. The Old Jefferson Town Bowstring -1875 –Oklaloosa CountyThis bridge has been moved twice ending in Old Jefferson Town in 1975 where is provides access to various points of interest. It is on the National Register of Historic Places

NEBRASKA

1.The Wyoming Bowstring -1878 –relocated to the  Lincoln Wetlands Nature   Center, Lincoln (see EXISTING BRIDGES section – Nebraska - Otoe County. (see article in the Lincoln Journal Star  by Algis Laukaitis -www.journalstar.com/articles/2005/06/05)

Many King Bridges in Nebraska (Gage, Butler, Otoe & Antelope Counties) See the Federal Highway Administration "Historic Bridges of Nebraska" links.  (Thanks to Lou Merchen for finding these great links with beautiful B&W pictures and history!) Added 6.8.02

2.The DeWitt Mill Bridge at DeWitt in Gage County, Nebraska – (150 feet)-1887*This Pratt truss is the oldest vehicular truss remaining in the state out of the hundreds that were ordered by Nebraska counties in the 1880s. It was originally built to serve an important flour mill on the Big Blue River. 

3. The Loosveldt Bridge at the Budd Family Ranch near Rushville, Sheridan County, Nebraska – (260 feet) – 1887-1888 * - This Baltimore truss was once part of the four span Columbus Loup River Bridge on the Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30). George E. King, Zenas’s nephew and western agent for the King Bridge Company, contracted  with Platte County for this major bridge which lasted until replaced  in 1933. One span was then moved to Sheridan County  to replace a flooded bridge at Loosveldt . It was then sold to the Budd family in 1984.

 4.The Wolf Creek Bridge near Dunbar in Otoe County, Nebraska – (77 feet) –1889*

This is one of the hundreds of Pratt truss bridges that were the standard design for smaller crossings of streams ans rivers in the Midwest.

 5.The Clear Creek Bridge near Bellwood in Butler County, Nebraska – (73 feet) – 1891*

This is a rare Warren truss on a lightly traveled road crossing a tributary of the Platte River. It is still in operation for light-weight vehicular traffic. 

Additional information about the Elkhorn River Bridge constructed in Nebraska in 1883 by the King Iron Bridge Company can be found at: www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/antelope.htm