Waltmire Bridge
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Why it's listed
Waltmire Bridge carries Locust Road across the Mackinaw River about 4.9 miles south of Tremont, Illinois. Built in 1910 by Tazewell County contractor Edward Cooney for $7,988, it replaced a crossing known as Waltmire's Ford, where the river was hard to cross at high water. The structure is a single-span, eight-panel Pratt through truss, 187 feet 9 inches long and 16 feet 2 inches wide, with steel members, concrete abutments and a wood plank deck. Most deck planks have been replaced, but the bridge is otherwise basically unchanged since construction. It is listed for engineering significance as an excellent example of the Pratt through truss type, with vertical members in compression and diagonal eyebars in tension. Only two such bridges exist in Tazewell County, both over the Mackinaw River. The bridge still carries light local traffic under a 3 ton load limit, and a county survey found its abutments and upper steel structure in good condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination finds it locally significant under Criterion C for engineering as an excellent example of a Pratt through truss metal bridge. It is one of only two Pratt through truss bridges in Tazewell County, both over the Mackinaw River, and it retains its historic integrity. At about 187 feet, it is longer than most Pratt through trusses, which are usually 25 to 150 feet.
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 99000112, listed February 5, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Locust Rd. over Mackinaw River, approx. 4.9 mi. S of Tremont, Tremont |
|---|---|
| County | Tazewell County |
| Listed | February 5, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000112 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1910 |
| Architect / builder | COONEY, EDWARD, builder |
| Architectural style | Other: Pratt through truss bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Open to light traffic with a 3 ton load limit; the upper structure is in good condition, though some structural steel repairs are needed beneath the deck. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.45098, -89.50416 (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 99000112.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23822842
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.