June 16, 2007

Spanning the Arkansas River at river mile 166.2 in Little Rock (Pulaski County) is the Baring Cross Bridge, one of the six bridges in the downtown area. The first railroad bridge was opened in 1873, when this photo was taken. It was named after the bridge finance company, Baring and Company, and a cross from the family coat of arms of the president of the Cairo and Fulton Railroad. In 1877, a wooden deck, which was lowered to the rail level in 1886, was built on top of the bridge for regular traffic. The original bridge was washed away in the Flood of 1927.