Marsh Arch Bridge near Baxter Springs marks its 100th anniversary

The landmark Marsh Arch Bridge, aka the Rainbow Bridge or Brush Creek Bridge, near Baxter Springs, Kansas, celebrated its 100th birthday this week.

According to several online sources, including the well-researched Vintage St. Louis and Route 66 page on Facebook, the bridge opened on Dec. 20, 1923 — about three years before U.S. 66 was federally certified.

KOAM-TV in nearby Pittsburg, Kansas, posted a story about the bridge’s centennial with bits of local color:

Every day for the past 12 years, Robert Dean Walker has followed the same routine. “Every morning, I just drive right through it, go right into town,” says Walker. He considers it a hobby — to ensure that Rainbow Bridge looks good and remains safe from vandals. “Sometimes, they will write their name on it, and I paint it out.” […]

Joe and Kelly Casillas got married on the bridge on a hot day in July 2005. They believe they are the first American couple to get married there. With her being from Kansas and him being from California, the wedding on a bridge on Route 66 had a special meaning. “I just always have loved the bridge. I always would come out here, and everybody comes out here,” says Kelly. “It’s kind of a historical spot. We still drive by it all the time,” added Joe. A historical and important spot for Joe and Kelly’s family, and also for the four-states area.

Baxter Springs Heritage Center and Museum told the station it hopes to have the bridge repainted by Route 66’s centennial in 2026.

Route 66 Tiimes has this succinct history of the bridge:

This bridge was in constant use on Route 66 from 1926 to 1960, but it is still in use today on the older alignment and draws a steady stream of roadies.

The James B. Marsh Arch style the bridge was completed in 1923, but the concrete approaches to it were apparently not finished until the spring of 1924. The bridge is 130 feet long, 20 feet wide with the archs rising 26 feet. The bridge was saved from demolition and restored in 1992. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Brush Creek Bridge in 1983.

The National Park Service has more details about the bridge’s preservation during the early 1990s:

In 1992, upon seeing two other Marsh Arch bridges on the short stretch of Route 66 through Kansas dismantled, the Kansas Historic Route 66 Association worked successfully to save the Brush Creek Bridge. At this time, a new bridge was built just to the east of the Brush Creek Bridge to redirect and accommodate the increasing needs of local traffic. Two years later, the Association and the Cherokee County Commission combined efforts to make important repairs to the Brush Creek Bridge. In 2005, the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program provided additional Cost-Share Grant funds to assist with repairs to the concrete superstructure. Although local traffic has been rerouted around the bridge, it is still possible to walk or drive across the bridge. If you’re lucky, you may discover it in use as a venue for a community picnic or wedding – and you’ll likely be invited to join in.

(Image of the Marsh Arch Bridge near Baxter Springs, Kansas, by Carol Highsmith via the Library of Congress)