Tucked back in one of Maine’s many desolate corners is the New Portland Wire Bridge. I will say that I wasn’t so sure about going across this thing at first.
It’s rickety. The bottom drops just a tad too much when you decide your car will make it JUST FINE, and knowing that the towers and the cables are original didn’t help. Also, people FLY across this thing, and it’s one lane, you can’t see what’s coming from the other side that well because people go to damn fast, and no one really seems to check if there is someone trying to cross the bridge from the other side.
The wire bridge is NOT the Tannery Bridge, just to be clear. The Tannery Bridge is a little bridge just before the wire bridge that you would miss if you blinked. You would especially miss it if you sneezed while driving up to it. Man, don’t I hate that.
Anyway, the wire bridge was built in the mid 19th Century and was only one of four in the state. This bridge is the only one of it’s kind left, so far as anyone knows. The other’s in the state were torn down, while this lucky devil was seen as a local treasure, put on the historical society’s list of places to preserve and not to be messed with and “VOI-LA!” you have yourself a 150+ year old bridge that is both awesome and a bit intimidating.
This magnificent beast is 188ft long, has a 3 ton limit, 12ft wide, 4 inch in diameter steel cables, wooden plank surface (literally like driving across a washboard) and still has the original cables and towers, but calm down. It’s had some renovations, it’s completely safe….I swear….
According to the town of New Portland (not to be confused with THAT Portland), it was built between 1864-1866 by David Eider, which coincidently is my favorite duck. I mean, come on…these huge black and white duckies, just paddling thru the ocean without a care in the world with their giant orangish beaks.
Oh, sorry, wire bridge…..
Not only did David Eider build this bridge, he had help from his friend Captain Charles Clark. This is where things get a little tricky. Because there’s this “local controversy” that says the bridge was actually built in 1840-42 by Colonel F.B. Morse who lived nearby and was an Engineer in the Army. Some folks say he had the cables ordered from England, strapped some oxen up as soon as they arrived in Hallowell and had them brought to New Portland. Those poor ox must have been pretty tired. So, of course, with anything there is going to be criticism and locals began to call the bridge “Morse’s Fool Bridge.” Which actually sounds better than just the “wire bridge.”
Seriously, this piece of art deserves a name.
View from the middle of the bridge. The other side of the bridge were people playing in the river and asked me not to take pics of them, otherwise you would have a shot of the picnic area on the other side.
Walking across the bridge is quite bouncy, in case you’re curious. Way more than I would have expected it to be, but there are great views of the Carrabasset River that were too good to pass up.
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