Anna Ridenour on Tempe Railroad Bridge (aka Santa Fe Bridge)

Datec. 1905

MediumPaper

ClassificationsDocumentary Artifact

Terms

Catalog number1987.1.124

DescriptionAnna Ridenour standing on the Tempe Railroad Bridge above the flooded Salt River, also known as the Santa Fe Bridge of the Phoenix & Eastern Railroad.
Handwriting on edges reads, "Aunt Anna on Tempe Railroad Bridge. Salt River in high flood."
The bridge was completed in 1904 and put out of service in early 1905 by a huge flood that year. The distintive steel structural elements of the bridge seen in the photo correspond to the first section of the bridge on the south side of the Salt River, as identified from comparison to other photos (this section of the bridge differed in structure and height to the other four sections).
The style of Ms. Ridenour's clothing in this photo seems to be from the 1910s or before, and it is not certain if the bridge is still in service at this point, because the two northern sections destroyed by the 1905 flood cannot be seen from the angle of this photo. The other three remaining sections were left intact until demolished in the mid-1920s. The angle of the photo is to the northwest toward the mountainous Papago Park area. As the Ash Avenue bridge is not yet visible in the background (construction on that bridge started 1911/1912 and was completed in September 1913), it is likely that this photo was taken ca. 1905 to ca.1910.

Status

Not on view