Episode 14 - The Rooster Bridge

Many bridges throughout America have fascinating stories about them.  Many have historical markers documenting something significant about the bridge.  It might be the highest, longest, biggest, or most expensive.  Or, something historic happened at the bridge.  

 In this episode I look at the story behind the story of a bridge named after roosters.  Yes, roosters.  Please join me in learning about this fascinating story.

Reference:  

Rooster Day Demopolis (https://www.roosterdaydemopolis.com)

Alabama Living (https://alabamaliving.coop/articles)

Rural SW Alabama (https://www.ruralswalabama.org}

Historical Marker Database (https://hmdb.org)

I invite you to share this podcast with others. If you have interesting stories about historical markers you've discovered, or perhaps are in your area, please email me at: americanhistoricalmarkers@gmail.com.

I also invite you to leave me feedback by clicking on the "Send Us a Text" tab at the top of this discription.

Safe Travels!

Transcript

Hello Friends,

 I’m your host Dave Laton and welcome to Signs of Our Time, Discovering America’s heritage, one sign at a time.

 This podcast is designed to provide the story behind the story found on America’s roadside historical signs and markers.  

 It is customary to name bridges after famous people or events, even locations.  For example, there is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, perhaps the most famous bridge in the US.  There’s the Washington Bridge that spans the Hudson river linking Manhattan and New Jersey.  Then there’s the longest bridge in the US, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana.  It spans 23.79 miles.  And there’s the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado that is the highest bridge.  It stands 956 feet above the Arkansas River.  

 My all-time favorite bridge is the Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct, or the Nicholson Bridge as it’s called locally.  It’s located in the small town of Nicholson, Pennsylvania.  This amazing bridge was completed in 1915.   I’ve visited this amazing bridge several times when my wife and I lived for a short while in the area.  When finished, it was the largest concrete bridge in America.

 But that’s not the subject of this episode.  I want to talk about the Rooster Bridge.

 Just outside of the small western town of Demopolis, Alabama is the Rooster Bridge.  It spans the Tombigbee River.  It was opened to traffic on the old Dixie Overland Highway, now US Highway 80 in 1919.  The old Dixie Overland Highway stretched from San Deigo, California to Savannah, Georgia with the only break being the Tombigbee River near Demopolis.  

 This otherwise ordinary highway bridge received its unusual name because of how money was raised for its construction.

 The original Rooster Bridge was built using money raised from a public auction of roosters donated by famous personalities.  There were over 600 roosters donated for the auction.  Among those donating roosters was President Woodrow Wilson, and Vice President Thomas Marshall.  Other contributors included prime ministers of England, France, Italy, and the King of Belgium.  Please note that in that time period, rooster fighting was common and accepted.  

 There were several celebrities of the day, Mary Pickford, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, U.S. General John Pershing.  And, interestingly, Helen Keller donated a small blue hen.  Miss Keller is said to have commented that it was not very lady like to sponsor a rooster so she sponsored the hen.  

 The idea of this unusual way to raise funds came from an auctioneer named Frank Derby.  $75,000 was needed to build the bridge.  Mr. Derby’s idea raised about $40,000.  Alabama made up the difference and the bridge was completed in 1925.   Since the amount raised was less than Mr. Derby had contracted for, he was not paid for his services.  

 Also, anyone entering the area of the event had to purchase and wear a rooster button which cost $2.  It had an image of a rooster on it along with the slogan, “Bridge the Bigbee with Cocks.”  It is recorded that there were about 11,000 buttons sold at the 1919 auction.

Oh, and by the way, the name of the river, Tombigbee,  is a Choctaw Indian word meaning box builder, or more accurately, coffin builder. 

 Originally it was called the Memorial Bridge but was known locally as the Rooster Bridge.  Then in 1959, a bill was passed in the state legislature officially changing the name to the Rooster Bridge.  Then in 1971, another bill was passed decreeing that all future bridges spanning the Tombigbee would be named Rooster Bridge and bear a plaque related to the unusual plan devised by Frank Derby.

 Today, if you are a student in the Demopolis school system, the history of the Rooster Bridge is part of the curriculum.  

 There is a Rooster Day outdoor festival and celebration each year.  

 Well friends, there you have it.  A story behind the story from America’s historical signs and markers.  I hope you enjoyed this episode.  I invite you to subscribe and continue listening as we bring more episodes about the rich heritage of our great nation.

 Please share this podcast with others.  If you have interesting stories about historical signs and markers, email me at: americanhistoricalmarkers@gmail.com.  Maybe your story behind the story will be featured.

 I’m your host Dave Laton and thank you for listening, and safe travels!