The Old Chester Bridge Hancock County, WV ********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ********************************************************************** submmitted by jwaite@weir.net The Old Chester Bridge - The early businessmen of Chester quickly learned that if this new area were to succeed, they had to have a bridge connecting them to East Liverpool. The ferry boat was not successful, as it was often frozen in the ice and could not move. It took for 1893 to 1895 to obtain enough investors to undertake the construction of the project which was to cost $250,000. In 1896, land was purchased in Ohio for the connection. By March of 1896, excavation for the piers began. By June, 1896, all stone work was completed and the iron work was started in July, 1896. Nine months of hard work was climaxed December 31, 1896 when the 1,466 ft. long bridge was completed. Many people walked the bridge but the official opening was New Years Day 1897. To walk or ride hores across, the cost was 5 cents a person. The Chester Bridge was sold to C.A. Smith in 1901 after it had gone bankrupt. In 1936, the bridge was completely rebuilt without stopping traffic. It was closed to traffic in 1972. Courtesy of Roy C. Cashdollar, with permission