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To learn more about the family who helped adopt The Craig Bridge and the former State Nursery
Nursery Park
~~6/11/09~~
The Williams Street Bridge is now on its way to The County Yards for salvage uses.
East Helena had, at the last minute reversed its decision to adopt the historic structure and the MDT contacted Me to see if I
was willing to step in. I was very happy to do so but when the County Commissioners met on Monday to sign over the bridge
they instead decided that the bridges would be better bargaining chips to use against Stephanie Nelson and her lawsuit with
the county, A lawsuit we have no part of. And thus the county attorney made the offer to Stephanie Nelson's attorney that they
will now consider the Craig Bridge a Public Nuisance and subject to fines and would only give up the Williams Street Bridge to
me for preservation if I convinced Stephanie to give up her lawsuit with the County and allow a full fledged road to be built
through her land. I am sad and disheartened to hear these statements. Again I have nothing to do with the lawsuit with the
County and we only lease land for the bridges from Stephanie. I have no bargaining power in the lawsuit and I can not
understand where or how I can convince Stephanie to just dismiss the lawsuit just in order to get me a bridge to preserve. The
County Commissioners claim they were just thinking "outside the box" and that I should applaud them for it.
I am not sure why I should applaud them but I am inclined not to.
The Bridgeworks would like to welcome the 3 new Neighbors at the former State Nursery.
Growers we are looking foreword to fruitful harvests in 2009.
Lady Bug Farms. Sweet Pea and Pumpkin Head Nurserys and The Brue House Farm.
35X100 IN SOIL GREENHOUSE
WATERMELON
BRENT BRUE GROWER
HEAD NURSERY
ORGANIC 35X120 GREENHOUSE
WITH 3 DRY FARM LOCATIONS
RACHEL AND ANDREA
GROWERS
DRY FARM, 30 CROPS IN
SANDY LOAM 60X120
RICHARD THIELTGES, GROWER
photo coming soon
photo coming soon
photo coming soon
Three New Videos on Utube, Check them out
Hotel Broadwater
St. Helena School
House of John Shober
State Nursery Flood
The Bridgworks and Nursery Park announces the dissolution of the relationship between
themselves and the Creation Arts Center, as of this time we are no longer in contact with Donna
and Les Elford, any questions regarding the Arts Center should be addressed to
Donna Elford 406-459-6687. Thank You.
Happy New Year!
Thanks to everyone who helped out and donated to make 2008 a great year
Were on You Tube
Click here to see the video about the big move
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-JQNkCpjCM
~~~~~OPEN PRESS~~~~~
~~~4/2/07~~~
Education
With the legislature in town we have received some great responses from our representatives
who have gone out to the bridges and asked a simple question, How can an old bridge help
educate. The answer is held within the transportation and building history of Montana. Our
group wants to help educate the public on how over a century ago, men and machines came
together to build a future for our state. Architecture and Engineering are at the core of
understanding how a society expresses itself. We are going to have open classes on these
topics including how a century old bridge will be rebuilt over the historic flood plane. We will
have engineering demonstrations of the 100 year flood and how it affects the Ten Mile Corridor
and down stream flood zones. Though sounding dull we will make this a fun and a hands on
project with models and actual "micro flood" demonstrations. Repairing the old bridge will bring
education on Hot Riveting, Concrete Abutments, decking and Pier Construction. Riveting, a lost
art of its own in the age of welding is a class not to miss. The Craig bridge is the first of several
structures to be moved and preserved at the Nursery park. Bridgework's goal is to work with the
public in its efforts to save architectural history. Future assistance projects include a large gold
dredge, two more steel bridges as well as a steam locomotive rusting away in a field outside
Billings. Future generations can only truly appreciate the accomplishments of our past, if we do
all we can to preserve it now. We are at a special time, the willingness to save our history is
supported by whole groups instead of just the individual. We believe you can accomplish great
things with a support structures like that.
~~~2/8/07~~~
County Commission names new bridge in Craig
Lewis and Clark County commissioners signed a proclamation Tuesday naming the new $3.5
million bridge over the Missouri River in Craig after Forrest Howard Anderson, one of Helena's
foremost political stars.
Article by Martin Kidston
~~~1/4/07~~~
Hometown Helena weighs in on Craig Bridge.
Ron Mercer,Co-Chair of this local civic group wrote in his
Hometown Helena mailer...
"I wonder if there is really a plan for the old bridge that is parked along the
highway west of town."
Ron goes on to say
"Seems to me that there should be a bond required to insure whatever is
donated to a citizen will be put to use within a reasonable time frame."
In a boilerplate response to
questions regarding his mailer Ron responded
"Lots of people are starting to complain about the bridge just sitting there
for several months."
We at the Bridgework's are not quite sure what Ron is talking about. Our plans are in full
gear and we are moving forward with fantastic community support and encouragement.
We have made substantial progress since the move nine months ago. Not all progress
will be linked to the physical movement of the bridge. We have lots of engineering work
yet to complete. In October 2006 Martin Drivdahl, one of Montana's most experienced
bridge engineers came on board the Bridgework's team and generously offered his
skills to the work ahead. We have to engineer and incorporate the bridge into the flood
plane, the importance of proper placement for a bridge that will stand for another century
can not be rushed for any reason.
Ron would like to see a bond created by MDT to ensure the progress of the
incorporation of a historic structure. This is not how things are done in the historic
adoption process, as undue pressure to complete a project at the risk of safety is not a
fundamental of good construction. The state, MDT and conservation groups know the
difficulty of staging a bridge that was taken down and moved more than 50 miles to a
new home.
We at the bridgework's have received over 2000 email's since the move, filled with
genuine curiosity and thanks for keeping the grey giant from the scrap pile. None of
these letters have ever been negative. How "complaints" go directly to Ron Mercer of
the Helena Regional Airport and not to the group storing, preserving and building the
bridge is completely baffling to me.
These bridges are very important to our county and state history and they are certainly
not causing anyone any real strife.
Scott Nelson
Director Bridgework's
1/10/07
~~~~~~Photo Update~~~~~~
Check out
~Craig Bridge 3~
Thank you all for sending us in your shots.
Keep them coming!
~If you have photos you would like to contribute please send them along~
Scott@bridgeconservancy.org
If you would like to donate to our efforts contact us
12/12/06
~~~~~East Helena Gets The Vote~~~~~
~WILLIAMS STREET~
The city of East Helena won the vote from the Department of
Transportation this month regarding the future home of the
Williams Street Bridge.
The DOT Adopt A Bridge Campaign that served as the program to
save the Craig Bridge has successfully Negotiated a deal with the
city of East Helena to place the bridge over Pacific Street. East
Helena will move the bridge some time in 2007 to the former site of
the Pacific Street Bridge in East Helena just North off the Highway.
~~~CRAIG BRIDGE~~~
I want to take this time to thank everyone who was involved directly or indirectly in
the difficult process of saving the Craig Bridge. All of Montana came together for this
and when the wheels hit the pavement it was like watching a symphony of construction
and effort take form.
To the Tamietti family and crew, I will forever be indebted to you for making this dream come true,
for having the faith when none was to be had and for showing us all the definition of the “Butte can do it”
attitude that has truly set you apart. Come visit the Tamietti crew at
www.tamiettihousemoving.net
To the Department of Transportation, thank you for all the last minute meetings, answering every
call and for helping people like us preserve our heritage through your adoption programs.
To the crews of Northwest Energy, you were the war drums of a massive marching campaign. Your
efforts constantly keeping moving foreword, scrambling ahead so successfully to keep the beat.
To Bresnan and Qwest crews, your days were as long and as difficult as every ones in this
campaign. I will never think of how TV and Phone services get into the community the same way again.
Thank You.
Thank you to the Sheriff and Police departments, your support was crucial for the safe and orderly
transport of such a large structure through our county and city roads.
www.co.lewis-clark.mt.us/history/historic_preservation.php
www.preservemontana.org/index.html
 | We are a Helena based Non Profit concerned about the future of | |
| our local bridges and historic structures. |
| We work with others in the field of Preservation and encourage | |
| others to go the extra mile for history. |
scott@bridgeconservancy.org
the Craig Bridge a Public Nuisance. Our plans are to have the originals on display in the new Bridge Building being renovated now. Center is a shot of the brick
Bridge Building under renovation, as you can see is needs ALLOT of work but we love conservation, this building served as among other things, offices, the planter
shed and storage for the Nursery from the 1890s through to the end of the 1990s, a century old and with enough care is will last another century.
John Nahrgang who homestead 400 acres
off the nine mile road at the turn of the
century, west of Craig took these photos.
Thanks to Robert Williams for sharing these
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a personal note, these photos remind me
of my grandfather Jim Nelson who loved this
bridge and the fishing community surrounding
it. Allot of people ask me why I went to all the
work of committing to this project, the
simplest answer is that my grandfather while
sick in hospital told me that it was a shame
that the bridge he loved was going to the
scrap yard. I promised him I would do
something, even though at the time I had no
idea what. Thankfully before my grandfather
passed I was able to tell him that the bridge
would not see the scrap yard.
To restore it was our dream.
If you have any comments please send them along.
scott@bridgeconservancy.org