Driving around Montgomery County, Arkansas
you will notice many barns and a few wells and low water bridges.
This is a solid old bridge at Big Brushy Recreational area just
off Hwy 270. This ONF gravel road, across the bridge is a short cut to Oden,
six miles, avoiding Blowout
Mountain. Take the first left crossing the ford below then across the next bridge (3rd
photo). A bike route for the family. Very little traffic.
BRUSHY CREEK BRIDGE Commerce Business Daily Issue
No. PSA-1849 20 May 1997
U.S.D.A., Forest Service, Procurement Office, P. O. Box 1270, Hot Springs, AR
71902 ZIP CODE: 71902 BRUSHY CREEK BRIDGE: Replace treated timber deck and curbs
on Brushy Creek Bridge at mile post 0.3, Old Six Road No.6, Ouachita National
Forest, Oden Ranger District, Montgomery County, Arkansas. Work includes removal
and disposal of the existing 115.5 foot long and 13.2 foot wide, creosote
treated, wooden deck and timber curbs and replacement with a new nail laminated
treated wooden deck and treated timber curbing. Contract time for completion is
25 calendar days after receipt of Notice to Proceed. Estimated price range is
$25,000 to $35,000
Big Brushy Creek and the ford. The gravel road leads back, across the creek, to the Brushy Church and on to Oden and forward to Big Brushy Recreational Area. August 1998. The creek is canoe able after four inches rain. A great trip, two miles whitewater, class 2, put in at the ford (above) and take out at the bridge (below). The creek drops fifty feet over two miles.
Brushy Bridge with chicken houses in the background. There use to be an old wooden bridge here. Photo January 2001 after the ice storm.
Photo courtesy of Doug Anderson of the old Sims low water bridge crossing the Ouachita taken not long before it was removed. The picture was taken in the early 1990s. There was a WPA bridge across Fiddler's Creek.
What is left of the old Sims low water bridge, Dec. 2007.
The new Sims Bridge in the background.
The new Sims bridge across the Ouachita River taken from the old low water bridge with a river birch in the foreground. Dec. 2007.
Centennial History of Arkansas By
Dallas Tabor Herndon pg29
The Ouachita (sometimes written Washita) River rises in the northwestern part of
Polk County. It flows eastwardly, by a sinuous course, to the central part of
Garland County, where it turns toward the southeast. Near Malvern it is
deflected to the southwest and continues in that direction to a point on the
line between Hot Spring and Clark counties about six or seven miles north of
Arkadelphia. From that point it follows a southeasterly course until it enters
Louisiana as the boundary line between Ashley and Union counties. The Ouachita's
largest tributary from the west is the Little Missouri River, which rises near
the line between Polk and Montgomery counties. Its general course is eastwardly,
uniting with the Ouachita at the southeast corner of Clark County.
The old rickety one lane bridge at Oden crossing the Ouachita no longer exists. Such bridges come functionally obsolete because they are not wide or tall enough, they tend to be sturdy because most were "overbuilt" to handle heavier loads than they would ever hold. Riveted steel trusses used to be common. They were the No. 1 choice from about 1920 to WWII and where found everywhere, they stopped building them and they started being replaced with a concrete bridge that often block river views. The runners going length wise helped preserve the life of the bridge and made the ride across smoother and take a heavier load.
A car with "For Hire" on the windscreen was taken across the Ouachita river, Oden, about 1915 by the ferry, hand pulled by two men.
Pine Ridge
The Ouachita. The old bridge just down stream of the new bridge at Pine Ridge, below.
May 2005. The bridge across the Ouachita just east of Pine Ridge towards Little Hope Church. This is the third bridge at this site. The concrete remains of the lo water bridge are still visible, see above photo. A canoe access site for the Ouachita River. It took us two hours 15 minutes in May to canoe down to Shirley Creek Recreational area, a distance of four miles. Water level was a bit low, dragging on some shoals.
The bridge on Hwy 27 at Washita. photo taken Dec. 2007.
Montgomery County ARGenWeb Project
OUACHITA RIVER FLOAT CAMPS
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette 29 June 2006
With a succession of float camps strung along its course, the upper Ouachita is
a float fisher's dream. From Shirley Creek Float Camp to River Bluff Float Camp,
the camps are spaced in 7- to 10-mile intervals, perfect for a day's fishing.
Formerly operated by the National Forest Service, the camps now are maintained
by the Montgomery County Parks Department and never have looked better. The
grounds are much cleaner than they used to be and are well-maintained.
Despite the county's best efforts, people still leave liquor bottles, beer cans
and soiled diapers around the camps. In the past, such messes accumulated. Now
the county minimizes the damage. Basically, the camps are just open spots on
high banks overlooking the river. Each site contains a tent pad, fire
ring/grill, lantern post and table. Shirley Creek Float Camp, near Oden, is the
first in the series. About 10 miles downstream is Rocky Shoals. It is adjacent
to U.S. 270. It's also the most popular launch site for the river's canoe
outfitters. It is noisy, and since it is on a hillside level spots are scarce.
About 7 miles downstream is Fulton Branch Float Camp. From there, it's about 4
miles to Dragover Float Camp and then 2 miles to River Bluff Float Camp. All are
accessible by road.
Dragover Float Camp near Sims- access to the Ouachita River.
A nice clean isolated campground with tent sites and toilets.
Without maintenance an end to life
is certain and the bridge is going to be in the drain.
Iron reverts back to oxide - corrosion. Corrosive connection points freeze
up and cannot absorb stress.