Elm Fork Bridge
Posted by: 
QuesterMark
N 33° 18.410 W 097° 02.507
14S E 682306 N 3687014
This post mounted subject marker stands at the east end of the bridge, angled to be readable as one walks toward the bridge from the Greenbelt Park parking lot. A brown "HISTORICAL MARKER" sign points to the entrance to parking.
Waymark Code: WMQE13
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/13/2016
Views: 9
Marker erected by: Texas Historical Commission
Index Entry Elm Fork Bridge
Address FM 428 (Old Sherman Road) at Green Belt Park at Lake Ray Roberts
City Denton
County Denton
UTM Zone 14
UTM Easting 682269
UTM Northing 3687021
Subject Codes bridges
Year Marker Erected 2014
Designations Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Marker Location North side of FM 428 (Sherman Drive) between Denton and Aubrey at Green BeltPark at Lake Ray Roberts. Bridge is 5.4 miles NE of Loop 288 in Denton and FM 428 intersection. Bridge sits in original location beside the newer bidge on FM 428.
Marker Size 27" x 42" with post
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Opening ceremony was held at 2:00pm at the Historic First Christian Church of Aubrey at 410 North Main Street followed by the unveiling of the marker at 3:15pm at the Ray Roberts Lake State Park Greenbelt off FM 428 between Denton and Aubrey.
Marker Number: 17887
Marker Text:
This historic bridge was an important two-way traffic bridge over the Elm Fork of the Trinity River for growing automobile traffic in Denton County in the 1920s. The bridge is one of the only two accessible iron and steel bridges in Denton County remaining in its orginal location on public land. Concrete piers and abutments were installed in early March 1922 while crews waited for the shipments of steel to arrive later that month.
The main span of the bridge is a 100-foot Pratt through-truss; east and west approach spans are Warren pony trusses 70 feet in length. Early iron bridges could only accomodate one-way traffic. The Elm Fork bridge was built for two-way traffic in response to the growing number of automobiles on the roads. Built on one of the original wagon trails leading out of Denton, the road became known as Sherman Highway, connecting Denton, Aubrey and Sanger. It also served early farms and cattle ranches in the area; some were later inundated when the river was dammed.
The bridge served traffic until 1990 when Sherman Highway (now FM 428) was widened and the bridge was bypassed. It was repurposed as a pedestrian bridge and reamins in its original location as a part of the Ray Roberts Lake State Park Greenbelt. The Greenbelt opened on National Trails Day in 1999 as a wilderness recreation area with a 20-mile multiuse trail that follows the banks of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River.
Recorded Text Historic Landmark - 2014
Marker is Property of the State of Texas
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Visit Instructions:
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