DeSpain Bridge

DeSpain Bridge (HM294B)

Location: Cooper, TX 75432 Delta County
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Country: United States of America
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N 33° 21.732', W 95° 36.506'

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Inscription

(Site 4.2 miles Southwest)

Located where the Bonham-Jefferson Road crossed the South Sulphur River, this pioneer bridge served the area's rich cotton trade for some 20 years.

It was constructed before 1850 by landowner Brig DeSpain and his neighbors to provide access to the county seat—Tarrant—in Hopkins County. The land was originally awarded to the family of Randolph DeSpain, a Texas Revolutionary soldier who was killed in the massacre at Goliad in 1836.

Strongly built of native oak and bois d'arc wood, the bridge withstood heavy traffic of ox-wagons and horse-drawn vehicles. The narrow ridge of land where it was situated was known as "Granny's Neck," for Mrs. Mary Sinclair, who lived in the vicinity.

Until cotton and corn became important crops, the South Sulphur River ran clear. Afterward, eroded dirt from plowed fields muddied its waters.

Shortly after 1870 — the year Delta County was organized — heavy rains washed out the bridge. The State of Texas built a new one, which took the name of G. W. Harper, Toll Keeper. Later Hopkins and Delta counties assumed maintenance of this new bridge, which continued to channel cotton and corn wagons between the two regions for several decades.

Details

HM Number	HM294B
Tags	Bridges and Viaducts, Agriculture, Waterways and Vessels
Year Placed	1970
Placed By	State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 6933.)
Marker Condition	No reports yet
Date Added	Thursday, July 5th, 2018 at 10:03pm PDT -07:00

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Locationbig map

UTM (WGS84 Datum)	15S E 257298 N 3694481
Decimal Degrees	33.36220000, -95.60843333
Degrees and Decimal Minutes	N 33° 21.732', W 95° 36.506'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds	33° 21' 43.92" N, 95° 36' 30.36" W
Driving Directions	Google Maps
Area Code(s)	903
Which side of the road?	Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal Address	At or near 5227 TX-154, Cooper TX 75432, US
Alternative Maps	Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap