Another tidbit from the Belle Vernon SesquiCentennial (150th) anniversary Commemorative Book: The Belle Vernon ridge Co. incorporated on Feb 11, 1891. Its stated purpose: "To construct a wagon and foot bridge across the Monongahela River at Belle Vernon". Congress authorized construction in Feb. 1893 Incorporators: S.F. JONES, J.S. JONES, S.C. SPEERS, Charles J. SPEERS, Thomas P GRANT, J.S. VanVOORHIS, J.C. CUNNINGHAM, Issac S. VanVOORHIS, A.L. BROWN, T.L. DALY, R.J. LINTON, and W.J. MANOWN/ note: The plans and specifications for the new (1890) bride over the Mon at Elizabeth, provided for a bridge that waas too short to span the river there, but matched the length needed for the Belle Vernon bridge. This must have saved lots of time and money! When the bridge was opened (Jan 1 1895) there was a signabove the roadway: "Horse must not be driven over the bridge faster than a walk. Penalty $10 fine or 10 days in Jail". Bridge was a toll road until it was purchased jointly by Fayette and Washington Co., and declared free in July 1910. The old bridge was remodled and rebuilt (probably to better carry vehicle traffic) in 1940. The bridge was torn down in 1952and replaced by the new (route 70) bridge which exists today. Thanks, Mike Donaldson ([email protected]) Allenport, PA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.my-ged.com/donldson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Listowner of: Monongahela River Valley of Penna Rootsweb mailing list: [email protected] - Mail mode [email protected] - Digest mode