|
|
Welcome to Sutliff  History of Sutliff Bridge 100 years
 Sutliff bridge stands test of time for 100 years
By: Dave Rasdal; Gazette staff writer
SUTLIFF – In a small community like Sutliff, the folks don’t need a special reason to celebrate. But if they did, Wednesday would be an excellent occasion. It’s the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the 900-foot-long Parker truss bridge that gave Sutliff its name and its character.
Turn the clock back a century to that warm summer day, June 3, 1898. Reports say as many as 1,000 folks, ranging from farmers to government officials to businessmen, assembled for a picnic at the west end of the bridge.
“A jollier crowd of several hundred people never assembled in Johnson County than that which made merry all day long at Sutliff’s ferry yesterday,” began the story in the Iowa City Weekly Republican. “The cares and toil of one day were cast aside, and all enjoyed themselves thoroughly, heartily, unqualifiedly.”
Among the celebrants was Harvey S. Sutliff, son of the town’s founder, Allen C. Sutliff, who had operated a ferry service across the Cedar River. Also included was George W. Wynn of Cedar Rapids, designer of the bridge “whose work has been severely criticized (sic) by engineers of high standing.”
Those engineers, no doubt, are no longer with us. Surely, many of their bridges have since crumbled and been replaced. But that shaky structure of Mr. Wynn’s still stands, solid as a rock on twin limestone piers. And folks at the east end, living in the never incorporated community of Sutliff, can take full credit.
Among them is Ray Brannaman, a resident for 75 of his 80 years. Ray has owned property in the area the past 40 years and still owns the Sutliff Store. He’s also been president of the Sutliff Bridge Authority since its founding in 1984 to purchase the bridge for $1 from the Johnson County Board of Supervisors.
“Nobody else will take it,” Ray says about his presidency. “Nobody else wants it.” But that’s a clue to Ray’s humor.
On a stroll across the bridge, ask how many wooden planks make up the floor and Ray will grin. He’ll explain that each plank is 12 inches wide and that the bridge consists of three 220-foot-long spans plus two approaches. He’ll add that some University of Iowa fraternities will make pledges walk the planks to count them. Then he’ll laugh.
“No two people have ever come up with the same number.”
Ray guesses 800-plus planks, each 16 feet long to fit the width of the bridge.
Many of the planks have been replaced thanks to efforts by Ray and the bridge authority. The planks have been purchased from many sources – most recently from a man in Cedar County – with some of the more than $25,000 raised in the past 14 years to preserve the bridge.
YOU SEE, when Johnson County closed the bridge to traffic in 1984 there was also talk of tearing it down. After all, a new $1.2 million bridge a half-mile north was open. (According to longtime Johnson County historian Irving Weber it cost 100 times the price of the old bridge.)
Even though the locals knew the bridge would be closed to all but foot traffic, they couldn’t bear to see their bridge go.
Since then, the authority has sold memberships in the plank society for $30 each, held numerous fund-raisers in spring and fall and allowed others to help raise money.
While the party to celebrate the bridge’s opening a century ago was obviously festive, it must pale in comparison to the bashes held since 1984
For one thing, we have to remember that electricity and beer didn’t come to the store until the early 1940s. Until then, the store was a store, not the tavern and restaurant it is today.
During the bridge’s last hurrah, Ray’s younger brother, Arch decided to run the store part time while keeping his job with the REC. He only lasted 15 days – from April 1 to April 15, 1984.
“It was too busy for him,” Ray says. “He couldn’t keep up.”
Bonnie Longerbeam, who had run the store a couple of years in the 1970’s, took over with her husband, Jim. They had it until July 28, 1990, when present operators Chuck Coon and his wife, Joan Baxa (who had run the store from October 1975 to March 1984), took over.
It seems that once folks become involved in Sutliff, they can never leave.
Ray wouldn’t have it any other way.
He can tell you all about Grandma Beese and Charlie Wickam, the McClellan clan and even his own grandfather, Warren Brannaman. But like any oral historian, Ray only knows what he’s been told. “I’m sure some of this history could be not correct,” he says. “It gets told over and over by other people. It can change.”
What Ray knows – or at least what he says – is that no celebration is planned for Wednesday’s centennial of the bridge’s dedication.
Scott Sailor of Ames has been holding “the last” 5K road race near the bridge for years says it is now defunct, even though a select number of runners know otherwise.
But Ray knows first-hand about some of the past parties. The Solon American Legion used to hold a fund-raiser each spring and every Labor Day the bridge authority had quite a party in Sutliff. But, after 1996, the bash was trashed.
“We finally quit it because it got to dangerous,” Ray says. “Too many people. It just go to be too big a drunk.”
Besides, after having to open so many kegs, the profits for the bridge were minimal.
Last Labor Day weekend – Aug. 31 to be precise – the Snowdrifters, an area snowmobile club, held a street dance to commemorate 100 years of the bridge since a plaque on the bridge says it was built in 1897. By all reports the party was mild compared to past parties.
But, officially, it would seem that the celebration was held too soon.
According to Irving Webber, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors “accepted” the bridge in April 1898. And, as stated earlier, it was dedicated June 3, 1898.
No matter. Even though Ray knows of no celebration for Wednesday’s 100th anniversary of the dedication, you have to wonder if a few people won’t show up now that it’s public knowledge. If that’s not good enough, you can look at the sign on the Sutliff Store that says 1899 and figure that’s a great excuse for a party in 1999.
When Ray says 1902 or 1903 is probably more accurate for the store’s founding, you can only guess that 100-year celebrations each of those years would be excellent excuses to have a good time, too.
But, hey, do the folks at Sutliff really need a reason to party?
“Hell, no,” Ray says. “If you want to party just start in.”
|
|
