APPLETON BRIDGE RESTORATION PROGRESSING

Alfred Mclane's mill, built in 1824 on Apple Creek in Old Appleton, before a flash flood swept it and the bridge away.

OLD APPLETON A labor of love lasting nearly 11 years may not drag on much longer in the small, north Cape County town of Old Appleton.

If all goes well the years of fund-raising, hard work, frustration and patience that have gone into restoring the 114-year-old iron bridge over Apple Creek could come to a climax around this time next year.

By then, the bridge should be back together and ready to be placed over the creek dividing Cape and Perry counties, where it was washed away by a flash flood on Dec. 3, 1982.

"We think if we can keep up the pace we have right now, in a year's time we will have the reassembly work done," said Jan Dellamano, chairman of the bridge restoration committee. "Hopefully, at that point, the bridge will be sitting there all nice and pretty, painted red; it just won't be across the creek."

Once the bridge restoration reaches that point, Dellamano believes volunteers and contributors will step forward to complete the project.

Also being planned is raising the bridge abutments, making it less likely that a future flood would take it out.

"We have had help from many, many people, and we want to have it up and looking good and then be prepared to let the people know what it will take to get the bridge on across the creek," said Dellamano.

The Old Appleton bridge was built in 1879 and is the oldest iron bridge still at its original site in the state. It is one of the last remaining Pratt truss models.

Dellamano said the Old Appleton bridge provides a distinct contrast to the Bollinger Mill site, where one of the state's last four covered wooden bridges is situated.

"The sites represent slightly different eras in bridge and mill technology," he said. "They have a covered bridge and we have one of the first steel bridges. While there are differences, there are a lot of similarities."

Many communities in the 19th century developed around a bridge and mill these sites represent.

Jack Smoot, who is site administrator for Bollinger Mill State Park in Burfordville, also has taken an interest in the project over the last decade.

Smoot explained that the iron work on the bridge had to be taken to St. Louis to be repaired, and now most of it is ready. Also, the recent purchase of an old crane by the group will enable them to lift the heavy parts into place, he said.

"Most of what we have done to date is what we could do without the use of a crane. But the parts we are dealing with now are some of the heaviest and highest parts," said Smoot. "Without the crane we would have been stuck."

The iron has been taken to LaSalle Iron Co. in St. Louis, where parts have been repaired. "They have been marvelous about doing the work for a very nominal fee and very little of the original parts have to be completely replaced," said Smoot. "They have the ability to use the old hot-iron riveting method, so not only are they repairing it, but they are doing it in much the same way the bridge was originally built."

Dellamano became involved with the bridge after his parents, Art and Rene, purchased the old mill. They convinced him to move to the area and to be their contractor to restore the mill and make it into a museum.

But a flood that followed the one that damaged the bridge destroyed the mill, and all of Dellamano's restoration work.

"I got involved with this because I gained an appreciation for historic structures by working on the mill," he explained. "As I worked on the family property, I got to appreciate how important the bridge was to the site. I also started to realize how important a site like this can be to the survival of a rural community.

"While we approached this as a family business venture, we also looked at it as something with intrinsic value for future generations."

A small core group of volunteers has kept the project alive, trying to get in workdays whenever possible and patiently going about their labor of love for future generations to enjoy.

Besides Dellamano, his parents, and Smoot, the effort has received strong support from Mark Birchler of Campbell Design Group, who has done the engineering. "He has really been a driving force in getting it done right and has been instrumental in fund-raising," said Smoot.

Others active with the committee are Chic Buchheit, treasurer of the group and former postmaster of Old Appleton; Frieda and Mary Jean Buchheit; Larry and Priscilla Hull; and the Rev. Walter Keisker.

Bob Schnurbusch of Old Appleton began a triathlon in 1984 to raise money for several projects, including the bridge restoration. Many others around Old Appleton have helped in the effort as well.

Smoot estimates that about $80,000 has been raised for the effort so far, not including donations of time and labor from individuals and companies. He and Dellamano believe it will take between $25,000 and $50,000 to repair the foundation so the project can be completed.

They are confident, once the bridge is ready to place across the creek, that contributors will come through.

Once completed the bridge will be open for bicycle, horse and pedestrian traffic, but not for vehicles. The restoration committee hopes to make the site in to a park and give people another reason to leave the interstate highway and spend time in the region.

"Our goal is to develop this bridge site into a park," Dellamano said. "It has a swimming hole, good fishing, large trees, and places for picnicking and hiking along the creek. There is also the waterfall over the old mill dam, making it a very scenic, nice place to take the family and enjoy a day.

"We think this will not only help sustain Old Appleton as a town, but help tourism in the region and that helps our economies."

Contributions to the fund can be sent to: Old Appleton Bridge Fund, Postmaster, Old Appleton, Mo. 63770. Donations are tax deductible.