90.475.5

The new Lincoln Way bridge, which opened in May, 1921, replaced a concrete bridge that had collapsed during the flood of 1918. That earlier bridge was built around 1908 over Squaw Creek at the behest of the Story County Board of Supervisors and was cheaper than the engineers at the Iowa Highway Commission had recommended. It only lasted for ten years. The 1921 bridge is the first bridge over Squaw Creek at Lincoln Way that was actually designed and built by the Iowa Highway Commission. It was a joint project of the City of Ames and Story County and was financed by a bond issue in March, 1920, following much local debate. Notice that Lincoln Way in this picture is not yet paved. This photograph is from the files of the Iowa Department of Transportation, which is the reorganized Iowa Highway Commission. (See also: 90.476.2 and 121.666.4)