After last week's post about the condition of Fort Bend County's roads during the early 20th century, I wanted to research the bridges crossing the Brazos at Richmond.
I know a railroad bridge has spanned the River since the mid-1850s when the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos & Colorado Railroad extended through Richmond to Columbus. As far as I can determine, Richmond's railroad bridges served that purpose only. They were never used for other traffic (wagons, horses, buggies) although people probably crossed by foot when they thought it was safe.
I've read there was a wooden bridge built in 1888, but it collapsed in a flood and was replaced with a more substantial, iron bridge in 1894. I presume this bridge was suitable for wagons, buggies and lighter vehicles because the following pictures show a ferry transferring automobiles in the 1920s. This makes sense to me because bridge design and in 1894 probably didn't consider the weight and frequency of automobile traffic which boomed in the 1920s. (All photos come from The Portal to Texas History.)
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| 1920 |
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| 1922 |
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| 1922 |
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| 1922 |
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| Undated photo, but that may be the automobile bridge under construction in the late '20s on the left. |
I assume the 1894 bridge still existed in the 1920s although it doesn't appear in any of these pictures. It may have been taken down and replaced with the first automobile bridge erected when Highway-90A was paved in the late 1920s.
Take a good look at the first picture. I think it shows the ferry headed for the east bank -- there's nothing but a dirt path running up from the crossing point. No doubt an enterprising farmer hung around that location with his mule team on rainy days.
