Phillips County Museum News for October 30

In a normal week (who has normal weeks anymore) how many bridges do you cross?

On my way to town, I cross several bridges and my assumption is that they will not collapse. In 1964 Ingwald Solberg was crossing the Beaver Creek bridge with a truck loaded with hay when the bridge collapsed. The bridge was supported by four concrete pillars and the two on the west end gave way as he was crossing.

Luckily, Solberg had a narrow escape but was not seriously injured. Ingwald was also a school bus driver and he crossed the same bridge twice a day with children! The bus route was rerouted to use the Dionne bridge. Solberg told the newspaper this one is also in poor shape so the children get out of the bus and walk across, then the bus drives over, children load up again and off they go!

Times change and what was accepted in 1964 would certainly cause an uproar today. Can you imagine that happening with our buses today?

The PC Museum holds many stories of the past and the Museum is open Monday-Saturday 10-5.