Picnics and other pursuits at the New York Bridge

A question developed the other day about location of the New York Bridge, a popular destination for picnics, camping expeditions, hunting, fishing and goodness only knows what else back in the day. The "day" stretched from the 1870s to roughly World War I, although my family --- which lived nearby --- still picnicked there into the 1920s according to my dad. So I've created a map, based upon an 1875 base, to show the location.

Anyone who knows the territory also knows that there's still a "New York Bridge," although not as impressive a structure as its predecessors were. The bridge is so called because it crosses the Chariton River on the New York Road, a very old designation for the route that leads south from Salem Cemetery (and formerly Salem Church) to what once was the village of New York in Wayne County. It's actually about five miles southeast of Chariton, but in horse and buggy days apparently seemed farther sometimes. The Mormon Trail that it branched off of, connecting Chariton and Russell, was known later (and still is) as the Blue Grass Road.

Hills covered with native timber flanked the bridge and this was where gatherings were held. All of the land was privately owned, but this was before worries about liability were an issue so no one seemed to mind.

The landscape has changed over the years. The Chariton River has been straightened --- it once flowed farther north and earlier bridges were nearer the base of the hills. Nearly everything here now is part of the Chariton River Greenbelt's Slab Castle Conservation Area and very overgrown. Back in the day, the woodland would have been much more open. (The original incarnation of the hunting lodge known as Slab Castle was built here by Harry Penick in 1900.)

Among the earlier reports of gatherings found in Chariton newspapers is this sentence from The Democrat-Leader of July 22, 1884: "A lively crowd of picnickers spent Friday at New York Bridge."

On Oct. 7, 1886, The Democrat reported, "The 'A' class of the high school consisting of about a dozen scholars went to New York bridge and had a little picnic and nut picking expedition on last Saturday. The day was fine and a glorious time was enjoyed by all."

Now and then, adventuresome souls would take a notion to travel by boat from Chariton to the bridge, not exactly a simple float. Here's a report from The Democrat of April 21, 1887:

"Bates Manning and Charlie Palmer bought a boat. One bright morning last week they launched it in the raging Chariton river about one mile south of the city for a trial trip to New York bridge, a distance of eight miles. The trip was safely and satisfactorily made in 24 hours, thus making the splendid time of three hours to the mile. It was a little inconvenient at times to carry it through the brush in order to get around the drifts, but the boys accomplished it without a murmur --- it was considerably louder than a murmur. They say boating on the Chariton has its draw-backs, and the boat was drawn back with horses."

Occasionally, there were mishaps. The Herald of Aug. 15, 1895, reported, "While crossing New York bridge Tuesday, the steam engine belonging to M.M. Arnold went through into the creek. Ed Cobb and Arnold were on the engine at the time, but fortunately in the fall they managed to alight in such a manner that the wheels missed them and they barely escaped a horrible mangling."

There were disasters, too, as reported in The Democrat of June 12. 1902: "John Brockert, a young man 22 years of age who resided near the New York bridge, was drowned in the Chariton river last Sunday afternoon. In company with his brother he had gone in swimming and was seized with cramps. His brother attempted to save him but his efforts were futile. The body was not recovered until late in the evening and was then removed to the home of M.V. Adams. Funeral services were held on Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock after which the remains were interred in the Russell cemetery."

And apparently there was the occasional wild party, too, as this somewhat enigmatic report from The Democrat of Nov. 3, 1887, suggests: "Every respectable and sober man who is undecided how to cast his vote for sheriff next Tuesday should remember the scene at New York bridge on Sunday, May 1, 1887. Fifty gallons of beer and the most disgraceful debauch that Iowa ever knew. Gotten up and presided over by whom? If a county officer can do that and still get votes for office, what shall we tell the boys about temperance."