This double-arch stone horse and buggy bridge, over Brush creek at Rockhill road, called the Nelson bridge, was built in 1900, the first stone bridge in Jackson County. It was part of a gift of land to the city by William Rockhill Nelson. The editor of The Kansas City Star did not like the metal bridges which were being built at that time and even waged an editorial war against them. He favored native stone. Now, 68 years later, most of the old bridges are gone, but this bridge of sturdy material and good design remains, a tribute to Nelson’s judgement. In 1966 the bridge was altered to meet the demands of modern traffic. The sidewalks on the bridge were paved over, permitting four lanes for automobile traffic. Pedestrians now use a new foot bridge alongside. When Rockhill road was built, the bridge became known as the Rockhill bridge instead of Nelson bridge. This postcard with a postmark of 1910 canceling a one cent stamp of Benjamin Franklin was made in Germany and put out by the Elite Postcard company of Kansas City. Kansas City Star, November 23, 1968.
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