Furnas Mill Bridge

The Furnas Mill Bridge, located in Johnson County, Indiana, spans Sugar Creek along County Road 650 South (Pisgah Road).

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The Furnas Mill Bridge, located in Johnson County, Indiana, spans Sugar Creek along County Road 650 South (Pisgah Road).

The bridge, built in 1885 by the King Bridge Company, features a two-span, pinned Pratt through truss design. ¹ Its construction utilized wrought iron for tension members, such as diagonals and bottom chords, while steel was used for compression members, including verticals and top chords. The spans rest on limestone block abutments and a central pier, with the bridge supported on the pier by non-expansive bearings and roller bars on each abutment. A metal base plate sits between each bearing point and the capstone.

The bridge was constructed to serve the local community in Blue River Township. ¹ In 1875, Orlando Furnas purchased the Foster Mill on the west bank of Sugar Creek, eventually modernizing it to one of the county’s leading mills by incorporating a roller process that enabled a capacity of 60 barrels per day. He was also a community leader and politician who served in the state legislature in 1883. ² By 1890, Furnas and local residents petitioned for an iron bridge across the creek and offered to build the necessary earthen approaches. ¹ Following a site inspection in January 1891, the commissioners approved the construction of an iron bridge with stone abutments and a central pier.

To support the project, citizens provided a bond for constructing a 1,130-foot earthen approach on the west side and a 268-foot approach on the east. ¹ In April, the commissioners reviewed three proposals and selected the King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Company to construct two 120-foot spans for $4,800. Each span would provide a 115-foot clear distance. In May, William E. Gray of Shelby County was contracted to build the stone pier and abutments using St. Paul Blue Limestone.

The bridge became part of Camp Atterbury in 1942 when the U.S. Army established a training camp in northeastern Johnson County. ¹ The communities within the camp’s boundaries were razed, and the bridge was integrated into the camp’s road network. After the camp was decommissioned in 1963, the land was transferred to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, in 1969.

Closed in 1995 due to structural deterioration, ^{1 2} the Department of Natural Resources initially considered building a new bridge but found the cost prohibitive. ² In 2001, the agency received a $250,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation to rehabilitate the Furnas Mill Bridge. ² The total renovation cost was estimated at $300,000, with the Department of Natural Resources covering the remaining expenses.

The bridge was rehabilitated in 2006. Today, the Furnas Mill Bridge is one of two surviving iron bridges in Johnson County and one of seven remaining King Bridge Company structures in the state. ² It is also one of only two Pratt truss-style bridges by the company in Indiana.

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Details

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Sources

1. Baas, Christopher. “Furnas Mill Bridge.” National Park Service, 1 Dec. 2000.
2. Fowler, Jennifer Jill. “County to preserve iron landmark.” Daily Journal, 3 Aug. 2001, pp. A1-A10.