Pulaski County GaArchives News.....Pulaski's Concrete Bridges April 1926
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Elaine Wiles http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00014.html#0003315 November 26, 2005, 8:21 pm

Hawkinsville Dispatch And News April 1926
At its meeting in the May term of Pulaski County in 1879, in its presentments, 
it recommended that the county Judge, Hon. H. H. Whitfield, who in that time 
was in charge of the county affairs, as is now vested in his son, our present 
County Commissioner of Roads and Revenues, take prompt and efficient steps to 
erect a bridge over the Ocmulgee River.  This was to be the first bridge 
placed across the Ocmulgee in Pulaski County.  The same Grand Jury appointed 
the following committee of well known citizens of the County “to act in co-
operation with the County Judge; J. H. Pate, John Henry, R. T. Bembry, and Jas 
J. Kinchen.  

A Tax levy was authorized of not exceeding three thousand dollars for a period 
of five years to meet the cost of the proposed bridge.  The building of the 
bridge came under review again at its November session in the following 
presentment:  “We endorse Judge Whitfield’s actions in the way he is carrying 
on the work on the river bridge, and that he continue to use his discretion as 
to how the work shall be completed.”  It will be recalled that this bridge, 
which was evidently opened for traffic in 1880, had this long span across the 
mid stream with wooden approaches, and fills, as at present at each end.  It 
was recalled during our highway in the spring, that Judge Whitfield then in 
charge of the County affairs had his freshet fight in 1886 when the abutments 
were endangered, and he had the chaingang on duty, day and night and over 
Sunday to save the embankments, and it was his son in charge of the convicts 
that assisted the State Highway Department to hold the fills in our 1925 
freshet.  

Later, when Macon was made head of navigation it became necessary to put a 
draw bridge in, the original span was moved out to serve in place of wooden 
approaches, and steel stringers supplanted much wood work on the structure, 
and the floors were made of lumber and proved to expensive to up-keep.  In 
addition, traffic became heavier with the years and the foundations of the 
various spans were regarded with uncertainty, and although the County lost 
half its territory to the new County of Bleckley, our citizens on May the 9th, 
1919, voted to issue $200,000.00 bridge bonds to take care of the cost of the 
river bridge and one each over Big Creek, known as Pate’s bridge and one on 
the lower river road, and over Limestone at Bembry’s Mill.  The State Highway 
Department aided by the Federal government matched the County’s $200,000 with 
as much more giving us a bridge fund of $400,000.

These several bridges were ready for traffic about the same time, and a 
monster celebration was pulled off by our city formally opening the river 
bridge on Friday, September 23rd, 1921.  A big barbecue was provided and it 
was estimated that 10,000 people participated in the days festivities. 


Additional Comments:
Exerpt from the article in the April 1926 Historical Edition of the 
Hawkinsville Dispatch and News for Pulaski County and Hawkinsville.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/pulaski/newspapers/pulaskis901gnw.txt

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