Fairgrounds Bridge Plaque
Early this summer, the
Loveland Historic Preservation Commission
erected a bronze plaque onto the historic bridge at Fairgrounds Park.
The plaque states the bridge's history:
Constructed in 1915 over the Big Thompson River at First Street, the bridge is 98 feet long, 15 feet wide with medium-span steel, and features a timber plank deck. The Pratt through truss bridge was patented in 1844 by Caleb and Thomas Pratt, and constructed by G.E. Washburn and Lowith Iron Works for $2,500. It is the oldest Pratt through truss bridge in Colorado which is still capable of carrying vehicular traffic. The bridge has weathered major floods of the Big Thompson River. In 1970, it was relocated to its present location. Designated in 2007 to the Loveland Historic Landmark Register.
