Kathy Baker: The majesty of bridges

Bridges have always fascinated me. Their construction amazes me. How can they be so fragile-looking and yet so strong? Impressive feats of engineering and construction have created structures that are both practical and elegant, yet the first bridges were simply tree trunks laid across a stream. It seems that humans have always sought ways to connect one place to another.

Once in a while, when I drive over the “new” Fairchild Avenue bridge in Kent, I remember its predecessor, the Crain Avenue bridge. I grew up on Crain Avenue and crossed that bridge daily when walking to what was then Davey Junior High School. I will never forget a cold, snowy December day in 1964, when the old bridge collapsed. That was one of the two or three occasions in my lifetime that my dad actually gave me a ride to school. As we crossed safely onto Mantua Street that day, we noticed a tanker truck waiting to turn onto the bridge. Unfortunately, it became the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, its weight causing the old bridge to collapse.