Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad Bridge at the Leon River
Also known as: #36
Why it's listed
This steel through truss railroad bridge crosses the Leon River east of downtown Belton, Texas, in a lightly wooded area. It has a riveted Parker truss with a polygonal top chord split into five segments, and it rests on wide limestone piers of rough-cut blocks capped with concrete. Newer approach spans sit on steel and concrete piers. The Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad is believed to have built it between 1900 and 1915, replacing earlier trestles from 1882 and 1890. The crossing mattered because the Santa Fe Railway had passed Belton by in 1881 in favor of Temple. Belton offered incentives to persuade the MKT to build a branch line into town, and that line allowed Belton to continue as a processing and shipping center for cotton. The bridge is recognized for this role in the local economy from the late 19th century through the early 20th century, and as an example of early 20th century bridge engineering.
Significance in brief: The bridge is tied to the MKT branch line that gave Belton a direct rail link after the Santa Fe bypassed the town in 1881. That link let Belton keep operating as a market, processing and cotton-shipping center. It is also cited as an example of early 20th century bridge engineering.
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 90001898, listed December 26, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Across the Leon R. at Taylor's Valley Rd., Belton |
|---|---|
| County | Bell County |
| Listed | December 26, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001898 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | C. 1900 - 1940 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function are both listed as rail-related transportation; approach spans are described as more recent steel and concrete. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.06244, -97.44324 (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 90001898.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110002825
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.