Point in History: The Jordan Bridge wreck of 1918
By Kris Leonhardt
Editor
The steel bridge structure that spanned the Plover River at Jordan was destroyed in late May 1918, when a Copps Company delivery truck struck the bridge.
The truck was headed to Rosholt with a load of groceries. As driver, Frank Stanke, approached the bridge from the west, he swerved out to let another vehicle pass. He then turned back to the center, but struck the lower arch of the bridge with enough force to knock the structure off its support.
The steel structure crashed into the river, as the truck left the roadway and tipped on its side in the ditch. The driver was not injured and neither was his passenger, Edward Wojak.
The truck was pulled from its resting spot the next day and immediately resumed service. The bridge was deemed beyond repair and looked to be replaced by a concrete structure.
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