THE CEDAR STREET BRIDGE

                      THE   CEDAR   STREET   BRIDGE

                                  NORMAN  V.  KELLY

 

Let’s go back to 1929 in Peoria, Illinois.  Prohibition was still the law of the land, but In Peoria, Illinois by now it was old hat.  It had ceased being a joke and now there was a permanent system in Peoria to defeat it.  There was money to be had since 1920 and because of Woodruff’s Soft Drink Parlor scheme, the entire Volstead Act was just a joke.

 

Since about 1925 there had been serious talk about Peoria building another bridge across the river that would really help Peoria in so many ways.  Mayor Mueller got behind the project, but it was finally Mayor Woodruff’s turn to be mayor and it was during his time that the project got under way.

 

In fact the figures were in and the leaders of Peoria, Illinois knew that they would have to finance the project pretty much on their own.  There was no phony Federal money to buy votes available and it would be up to Peoria tax money and of course a hope of getting some aid from the State of Illinois.  Finally the day dawned and sitting down on the river’s edge was a rudiment of equipment that would begin the incredible job of building a bridge just over 3,750 feet long over the Illinois River.  It was a daunting task and now it was beginning. 

 

Our city population in 1930 was 104,969 people and believe it or not in 1920, the year Prohibition began it was a little over 76,000.  Now that is an incredible increase and remember that population growth came during Prohibition when our distilleries and our breweries were closed.  At least that is what the DRYS calculated, but Peoria outsmarted all of those do-gooders, believe me.

 

                                        AND  SO  IT   BEGINS

 

The first day work began a lot of Peorians showed up to watch and as the years went by the crowd seemed to grow.  Most lunch hours during the summer were spent by downtown workers munching on sandwiches and gawking at the slow but steady progress of their new bridge.

 

The width of the bridge was to be forty feet wide with a Truss Arch to top it off.   The high point was at least 80 feet above the Illinois River and the clearance would end up being just over 61 feet.  Fortunately it did have four lanes because at one time the City Fathers were not certain they could afford four lanes. So as the giant crane towed and tugged the massive piers were laid and the form of the bridge finally began to rise up over the river.

 

                                          FINAL   COSTS

 

Can you imagine the jobs that were created because of the building of that mighty bridge?  On Wall Street there were Black Tuesdays and Black Thursdays and the Great Depression creped over the land. Over on the property of Saint Francis Hospital the Sisters were building the North Building and it seemed that Peoria had its own little Pocket of Prosperity. We had our soup kitchens, and there was despair, but compared to other cities our size we were doing very well indeed.  By the way in all those old soup kitchen pictures did you ever see a woman in line?

 

The final costs of the bridge was $l,373,060.62 of which the city paid the grand sum of $1,043,533.19.  The State’s portion had to do with the east end of the bridge and was later maintained by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

 

Construction work on behalf of the City of Peoria, Illinois began on July 20, 1929 and was completed on January 30. 1930.  Now the State began their portion of the bridge building on November 30, 1931 and was completed on June 30, 1932.  What was next was the Super Structure and the City of Peoria began that phase on January 10, 1930 and was completed on December 20, 1930.

 

The State started their portion of the Super Structure on July 5, 1932, finishing during December of 1932.   It was an outstanding feat and together the State of Illinois and the City of Peoria completed a beautiful bridge that changed the very nature and future of the City of Peoria, Illinois. 

 

The bridge opened on a cold, blustery January 6, 1933.  In April of 1933 the ban on the brewing of beer was lifted and in December of 1933 good old Peoria whiskey was being made.  Prohibition was over, Peoria had its new bridge and by 1934 Hiram Walker was building the largest distillery in the world right here in Peoria, Illinois.  The Do Gooders were finally defeated and America and certainly Peoria, Illinois were back on its feet once again.  The opening day ceremonies on our new bridge brought thousands of people from many parts of the area to see the grandeur of Peoria’s Cedar Street Bridge.  What a glorious day it was for the future of our great city.

 

Editor’s Note:  Norm is a local historian and author.    norman.kelly@sbcglobal.net