Tartar's Ferry Bridge
Why it's listed
Tartar's Ferry Bridge carries Township Road 116 near Smithfield in Fulton County, Illinois. Built around 1880, it is a single-span steel Parker through truss with a bottom chord length of 182 feet, a top chord of 142 feet, a height of 20 feet and a width of 17 feet. Its members are joined with pinned connections, with double eyebars used in the bottom chord and diagonals. The structure rests on concrete abutments and has a wooden deck, while its name plate has been lost. The engineer and manufacturer are unknown. The bridge was included in a group of metal highway bridges in Fulton County, chosen because they survive from a period of roadway improvement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In that era, older crossings and ferries were replaced by modern steel trusses. The collection also shows changes in steel bridge design, especially the Pratt and Parker through truss types. The state assessed the bridge as significant at the state level.
Significance in brief: It is part of a thematic group of surviving metal truss bridges built between 1883 and 1915 over the Spoon River and in Fulton County. The group reflects the improvement of the highway system, as older crossings were replaced with up-to-date steel trusses, and shows changes in steel bridge construction such as Pratt and Parker through trusses. The state evaluated its significance as state level.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80001363, listed October 29, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Spans Spoon River SW of Smithfield, Smithfield |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | October 29, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001363 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architectural style | Parker through truss |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Name plate lost; concrete abutments and wooden deck. The group is described as largely unaltered and in good condition, though plans existed to replace several bridges. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.44617, -90.35043 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80001363.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7686823
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.