Wampum Bridge - Wampum PA

An early drawing of the settlement of Wampum (far side) and Lower Chewton from about 1877. You can see the old Wampum Bridge, which was built to span the the Beaver River ten years prior in 1867. A railroad bridge would be constructed alongside the pedestrian bridge in 1884 (and replaced in 1897), creating a various dangerous obstruction of the oncoming trains of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE). The newer Wampum Bridge would be built further north – towards the right of this photo – in 1928.

A view of the old Wampum Bridge during the Great Flood of March 1913. (See the page of NEW CASTLE – Great Flood of 1913 for more information.) This photo shows the raging waters of the Beaver River actually lapping over the deck of the bridge. Despite fears of the worst this bridge somehow held and remained intact. Not so lucky were the four bridges in New Castle that collapsed and fell into the Shenango River on March 26-27, 1913. This photo clearly illustrates the close proximity of the angled railroad bridge.

Another photo of the old Wampum Bridge during the flooding on March 27, 1913. The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie (P&LE) Railroad freight house is visible on left.

The second Wampum Bridge, constructed as part of a larger project that included the new Chewton Bridge, opened in December 1929. The Wampum Bridge was the perfect example of a viaduct, as it spanned a service road in Chewton, the Beaver River, and the P&LE tracks in Wampum. The two new bridges finally eliminated the dangerous at-grade railroad crossings on both sides of the river. (c1955)

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