Historical Marker
Town of Riverside
Walker County · Texas
Riverside's railroad crossing became a landmark of its own. The International and Great Northern built a swing bridge over the Trinity here in 1904, a Pratt truss that Wikipedia calls the last swinging railroad bridge in Texas, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 12, 1979. Texas Escapes shows the bridge turning for the first time in 1904. According to Wikipedia, it has hardly ever swung, once at its inauguration and again in 1925 to let flood debris pass.
What the plaque says
Town of Riverside Founded 1872 when Houston & Great Northern Railroad (later, International & Great Northern) was being built into the area. Walker County landowners gave earth, timber, and rock to the road in order to gain shipping facilities. Post office was moved here Feb. 23, 1872, from Newport (6 mi. SE), where wharves were idle when Trinity River was low. Riverside developed churches, a 4-teacher school, and two blocks of businesses, including stores, blacksmith shop, livery stable, saloon, barber shop, 2-story hotel, cotton gin. In the 1920s, Fuller's earth refining plants were built.
Where it stands
30.85188, -95.39957 · Directions
More markers nearby
- Newport — 2.5 mi
- Camp Huntsville, World War II Prisoner of War Camp — 2.9 mi
- Waco, Beaumont, Trinity & Sabine Railroad — 6.6 mi
- Cedar Grove Cemetery — 6.6 mi