MISSISSIPPI BRIDGE SPANS HISTORY OF RIVER CITY

CONSTRUCTION LASTED JUST OVER ONE YEAR: Construction of the Mississippi River bridge began on Feb. 5, 1927 on the substructure, and on Oct. 3, 1927 on the superstructure. It was finished in 1928, and dedicated on Sept. 3, 1928. (JUDITH ANN CROW COLLECTION)

GUARDING THE BRIDGE DURING WARTIME: U.S. Army regulars took over guard duty on the bridge Feb. 21, 1942 during World War II. Above, Corp. K. McGrath of Chicago takes his duty at the toll house. (G.D. FRONABARGER)

BRIDGE WAS `FREED' IN JUNE OF 1957: The drive to sell $300,000 in bridge stock to finance the Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau began Sept. 6, 1926. By Sept. 10, the drive was completed with $403,600 in stock sold to 1,124 people. A toll was charged to repay money. It was "freed" June 29, 1957. (JUDITH ANN CROW COLLECTION)

The Mississippi River Bridge at Cape Girardeau spans more than water. It reaches across the history of the river city, a steel and concrete monument of civic progress.

For nearly 65 years, the span has cast a proud shadow over the community, first as a toll and later a "free" bridge. But its days are numbered. Planning is well under way for construction of a new, four-lane bridge that will replace the aging, two-lane span.

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Department is planning to construct a new bridge and a cross-town, connecting highway.

The entire project is expected to cost about $90 million. Work on construction of the bridge could begin next year, with the entire bridge and highway project completed by 1998.

But nothing can take away from the original bridge project, which resulted from citizen investment and what the Southeast Missourian newspaper in 1928 called Cape Girardeau's "never-say-can't" spirit.

"The bridge was a great improvement for the whole territory," recalled George Penzel, who served as bridge manager from September 1946 to June 29, 1957, when it ceased being a toll bridge.

In 1926, Cape Girardeau's population was about 16,000. But there was no span across the Mississippi River here. Those who wanted to cross it, did so by ferry. The nearest bridge crossings were at St. Louis to the north and Memphis, Tenn., to the south.

In 1925, 17,200 cars were being carried annually on the Cape Girardeau ferry.

The need for a bridge had been discussed publicly in Cape Girardeau for a number of years, dating at least as far back as 1919. At that time, it was suggested a bridge be built at Cape Rock.

In 1924, it was suggested that "wings" be added to the Thebes, Ill., railroad bridge to accommodate auto traffic. But that idea was subsequently abandoned.

On Aug. 19, 1926, 400 people turned out for a meeting at the Lutheran school to discuss plans for construction of a bridge.

Charles L. Harrison, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce bridge committee, told those gathered that if the community could sell $300,000 in preferred stock, a $1 million mortgage could be secured to build the bridge.

The community accepted the challenge and within five days a total of $403,600 in preferred stock had been sold to 1,124 people.

Longtime Cape Girardeau attorney Rush Limbaugh Sr. remembers investing in the project. He bought $200 worth of stock.

Limbaugh recalled that the bridge project was a community effort, with many citizens investing in the project. "All of us invested a little bit in it," he said.

For the individual investors, the bridge project proved to be financial quicksand. "No one who bought that stock realized a penny from it, but we secured a bridge," said Limbaugh.

From the beginning, the prospects of building a bridge had the community celebrating.

The community rejoiced over the success of the fund drive with a bonfire in Fairgrounds Park (now Capaha Park), which reportedly attracted 10,000 people.

Construction work commenced on Feb. 5, 1927. It took 20 months to complete the 43,000-ton, 4,744-foot-long bridge and its approaches at a cost of $1.6 million.

The project involved 72,000 bags of cement, 160,000 rivets and 406 foundation piles. About 120 men were employed in building the bridge.

In August 1928, shortly before completion of the bridge, a construction worker fell off the span and drowned.

During construction, a rumor circulated that an Illinois fortune-teller had stated that one of the bridge piers was built on shifting sand and would not withstand the heavy traffic load. But the forecast of disaster proved wrong.

The span was dedicated on Sept. 3, 1928. The ceremony was held on the campus of St. Vincent's College. It was estimated that as many as 30,000 people attended the dedication of the toll bridge.

One of those present was Howard C. Tooke. The former Cape Girardeau mayor was just a boy at the time the bridge was dedicated.

"I was only about 10 or 11 years old. I remember being at the ceremony," said Tooke.

Also in attendance that day was Laura St. Ann Keller.

She remembers watching the bridge go up. "We were all so interested in it. In our house on Frederick Street, we could see the bridge on the river.

"We were interested in the way they had to sink the piers and that sort of thing," said Keller, who ended up directing the pageant for the dedication ceremony. The pageant at St. Vincent's College depicted the progress of Cape Girardeau in four scenes.

"Pageants were popular all over the country at that time. They were kind of a celebration drama that they had at the time," recalled Keller.

"A reader read the story and then it was acted out, sort of in pantomime, on the stage," said Keller. "We had a really big crowd," she remembered.

As part of the bridge opening celebration, hundreds of spectators walked across the span.

Following the dedication, the bridge was closed so that paving work could be completed on the Illinois side. It reopened on Sept. 12 with more than 200 motorists paying the toll to cross it.

While an engineering achievement, the bridge proved to be a financial disaster.

The tolls charged for crossing the bridge were to be used to retire the debt. But there was little bridge traffic because there were no paved roads on the Illinois side.

"It went bankrupt because the state of Illinois wouldn't build a decent road to it," said Tooke.

Initially, the bridge connected to only dirt roads on the Illinois side, said Tooke. "If the weather was bad, you couldn't go anywhere after you got off the bridge."

With little traffic, the bridge could pay only its operating costs, but nothing on the bond issue or the community's investment.

On June 24, 1932, bankruptcy proceedings were filed in federal court in St. Louis.

The bridge was sold at public auction on April 8, 1935, to Industrial Securities Inc. of Toledo, Ohio, for a purchase price of $850,000.

By 1942, under that company's ownership, bridge tolls amounted to more than $228,000 annually.

During World War II, guards were posted at the bridge because of concern about possible sabotage.

Over the years, a variety of area efforts were undertaken to acquire the bridge. The Cairo Bridge Commission and later Alexander County, Ill., attempted to purchase the bridge. But both entities were thwarted by opposition from the Cape Girardeau area.

Finally, on June 8, 1946, the Cape Girardeau Special Road District acquired the bridge for the price of $2.37 million. The purchase was financed with revenue bonds.

Penzel, who served as bridge manager, said the tolls were used to pay off the bonds, with the intention of making it a free bridge.

A one-way trip across the bridge cost 75 cents, said Penzel. That was expensive at that time.

"Back in those days, you could buy a 75-cent steak dinner. You remembered when you went across a toll bridge and paid 75 cents," he said.

But local citizens could buy a sticker for $1. With such a sticker, a motorist could make the round trip for 50 cents, he said.

"We would average about $1,000 to $1,200 a day in tolls," Penzel said.

The toll bridge, he recalled, had its best traffic day in the aftermath of the 1949 tornado, which cut a destructive path through Cape Girardeau.

"People from Illinois came over to see the tragedy. It was the biggest day we ever had on the bridge."

Two collectors could work in the small toll house at the entrance to the bridge on Morgan Oak. But Penzel said that often only one collector was on duty on a six-hour shift because there wasn't sufficient traffic to warrant having two collectors on duty. Tolls were collected 24 hours a day.

On June 29, 1957, 11 years after the special road district took possession of the span, the bridge became a "free" bridge.

The states of Missouri and Illinois then took over possession of the span.

The "Big Bridge Freeing Celebration" included a parade, crowning of a queen and a contest in which contestants guessed the number of cars that crossed the bridge during a 12-hour period.

Due to rain, a number of events were actually postponed for a day, including a huge fireworks display.

"Everybody rejoiced in not paying any more tolls," he recalled.

Not surprisingly, Penzel has a special fondness for the bridge.

"This bridge was a classic bridge when it was built. It was designed by some of the best engineers in the Middle West," he said.

And while its days are numbered, Penzel said, the bridge has served the Cape Girardeau community well.

"We have done well with this bridge," he said. "The taxpayers have certainly gotten their money's worth."