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In Texas, the vernacular wire cable bridges that evolved from the patents of
Mitchell and Runyon were remarkably competitive with the ubiquitous
mass-produced, prefabricated, pin-connected metal truss bridges that were
marketed by out-of-state manufacturers to Texas counties during the late 19th
century. The dismantled truss bridges were shipped over the same rail lines that
were creating the demand for more bridges. In spite of this competition, the
vernacular wire cable bridge tradition thrived in the upper Brazos River basin
during the 1890's with the prolific output of bridge builder, William Flinn of
Weatherford, Texas, and then into the early 1900's with the work of the Mitchell
& Pigg firm.
William Flinn’s Bridges (1885 to 1904)
Although William Flinn left no bridge patents, his work is known through
county records, photographs, and several existing structures.
Flinn is known to have formed a partnership with Runyon for a bridge in 1890.
Historic photographs indicate that Flinn built several bridges in the
cable-stayed configuration of the Runyon patents. HAER historian Dr. Mark Brown
has estimated that Flinn was a prolific builder who was awarded 25 contracts in
Parker County alone between 1885 and 1903.
Flinn's work has been brought into sharper focus by a remarkable cache of
historic photographs discovered during research by HAER in 1996.
 Other Flinn bridges are known to have existed in ten additional counties: Bell,
Comanche, Denton, Erath, Johnson, Navarro, Palo Pinto, San Saba, Shackleford and
Wise.
The bridges were hand-fabricated on site by a skilled blacksmith. They were
built from easily transported materials such as gas pipe and the drawn wire
shown here. The photo at the left shows the typical cable spinning operation.
Flinn also built stiffened catenary spans such as the one shown at the left.
A modification to the Runyon patents characteristic of Flinn’s bridges is a side
rail stiffening truss composed of tubular pipe in a Howe truss configuration
with cast iron connector fittings. Flinn also constructed tall pier towers,
approach spans, and a tubular deck truss bridge with this type of framing.
William Flinn died unexpectedly in June of 1904, during the construction of
his final project, the Dark Valley Bridge. The Parker County History tells us of
his demise: "While building the Dark Valley Bridge over the Brazos River,
William suffered with a toothache. He had his blacksmith pull the tooth, but by
late that day the pain had become so bad that he started for Weatherford in his
buggy to see the doctor. The next day his horse brought him into town dead."
Mitchell & Pigg (1905 to 1925)
The firm of Mitchell & Pigg first appears in a bridge contract dated May 12,
1905. The contract was for two suspension bridges in Parker County, one at
Brannon’s Crossing and one at Hightower Valley near the Tin Top community. A
historic photograph of the Brannon’s Crossing Bridge (below) reveals a catenary
suspension bridge stiffened with a tubular railing that bears a striking
resemblance to the railings built by Flinn. The appearance of Mitchell & Pigg as
mature bridge builders in Parker County a year after the death of William Flinn
suggests the builders may have originally been part of the Flinn organization.
Mitchell & Pigg subsequently built numerous suspension bridges in Texas,
including this 213-m (700-ft.) span in 1908 over the Brazos River at Newcastle
in Young County.
After 22 years, the bridge at Newcastle collapsed as a result of flooding in
1930.
None of the Mitchell and Pigg bridges are still standing today although the
Hightower Bridge at Tin Top survived almost 77 years until it collapsed in
February 1982. By 1922, radical changes were taking place in the funding and
construction of bridges in Texas, and by 1925, H.F. Mitchell and J.W. Pigg had
developed independent associations with a former competitor, the Austin Bridge
Company.
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