The General William Dean Bridge History - Carlyle, IL
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 36.666 W 089° 21.402
16S E 294803 N 4276255
An information bulletin board is at each end of the bridge.
Waymark Code: WM175AD
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 12/16/2022
Views: 0
County of Markers and Bridge: Clinton County.
Location of Bridge US-50, roadside Park, 1st St. & Fairfax St., Carlyle.
Markers Erected by: The City of Carlyle & The General Dean Suspension Bridge Memorial Committee
Marker text:
Plate 1: Years ago when only wildlife roamed the vast prairie of what is now Illinois, large herds of Buffalo would cross the wild Kaskaskia River near the present day City of Carlyle. A natural "Ford", formed from the hard river bottom, was located here and allowed for an easier crossing.
Plate 2: Wandering Indian tribes learned to follow these old Buffalo "Traces" which made easier routes to cross the tall (often 7 ft.), thick prairie grasses in search of game. In later years, western settlers traveled these dusty Indian footpaths across Illinois. These paths were eventually widened into trails by the constant turning of countless wagon wheels. The wagon trail soon came to be known as :The Goshen Road: as it led from the Shawneetown salt works near the Ohio River to the Goshen settlement (near Edwardsville) in the American Bottoms on the Mississippi River. In 1811, John Hill settled near this ford and built and [sic] block house in which to protect his family from rampaging Indians. He began a small ferrying service at the ford.
Plate 3: In 1831, This bridge was known as "Slades Bridge" named after the two brothers who built it. The bridge was an important travel link for the Vincennes--St. Louis Stagecoach Route which was part of the Goshen Road.
Plate 4: With the invention of the automobile the suspension bridge soon deteriorated from heavy use. A new bridge to the south was constructed for automobile use, leaving the suspension bridge for mostly foot traffic.
Plate 5: General Dean, a native of Carlyle was a Prisoner of War for three years during the Korean War. Honored by the United States, General Dean received the Distinguished Service Medal and the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Plate 6: In 1973, the General William Dean Suspension Bridge was added to the Federal Register of National Historic Places.
Visit Instructions:To log your visit please include the following:
- A picture of the marker. Including yourself in the picture would be nice but not required.
- Tell about your experience, thoughts, knowledge of the site or anything else you feel you want to share about your visit.
Reminder: In Waymarking, it is not bad etiquette to log your own Waymark. Please feel free log a visit for any marker you submit.