(Originally published in the Winter 2009 MAGIC Newsletter)
Rockway BridgeOne thing Mishicot has plenty of is history. We need to preserve it and share it. That is the purpose of our historical museum and this column in each MAGIC newsletter. Visitors to Mishicot tell us that one of our main attractions is our Covered Bridge. Yet few know the history of that bridge.
The village has three bridges over the East Twin and Mishicot River. The Main Street bridge was the first to be built, Rockway Street was erected second, and the third, the State Street bridge, was built in the spring of 1955. There was no road or bridge there before that time. A fourth bridge was also constructed across Johnson Creek, located at the base of Saxonburg Hill, but, with time, it was replaced with culverts.
The present Rockway Street bridge was built in 1925 and was made entirely of cement. Just what year the first Rockway bridge was built is still a mystery, but based on information on the Mishicot Brewery, we believe it was around 1865. The bridge was built to get to the brewery, which was built across the river where Pietroske Salvage is now located. An early plat map of the village laid out by Daniel Smith, the founder of the village in 1844, shows he intended to develop the south side of the river. Julius Lindstedt purchased the brewery in 1868, further developed it, and later sold it to Joseph Scheuer (a previous MAGIC newsletter article provides more information on the brewery).
The first Main Street and Rockway Street bridges were made of logs placed across piles of stones that were held in place by frames of logs. Main Street was originally called Water Street because it paralleled the river. Rockway Street was named by Daniel Smith for his first grandson, Rockway. Rockway Smith was the son of Daniel's oldest son, Alfred, who helped him build the mills in town.