the King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio (later the King Bridge Company) was founded by Zenas King in 1858. Many of the Company’s bridges were used during America’s expansion West in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s and some of these bridges are still standing today. The bridge pictured on this website represent some of the beautiful King iron bridges. We are trying to locate any existing ones in order to preserve these pieces of American history. List of known King Bridge locations
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Late 19th Century U.S. bridge building company located in Cleveland, Ohio |
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  Founded in 1858 by Zenas King (1818 – 1892)(in larger picture on right) and subsequently managed by his sons, James A. King (on right side of smaller picture) and Harry W. King (not pictured) and his grandson, Norman C. King on Left side of smaller picture) until mid-1920’s. |
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Patented Tubular Bowstring in late 1850’s and other patents later on. |
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Claimed to have built over 5000 bridges all over North America by the late 1800’s. |
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A history of Zenas King, the King Family and the King Bridge Company. |
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The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History (maintained by Case Western Reserve University) also has a short history of the King Iron Bridge Company. |
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The Last Great Plan for New York City Bridges |
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Presentation by Allan King Sloan on the “King Bridges in New York State” Summer 2000, The Century House Historical Society, Rosendale, New York. |
The big King bridge in the picture to the left is the “New” Detroit-Superior High Level Bridge built by the King Bridge company in 1918 (Picture courtesy of Cleveland State University – Cleveland Digital Library). Below it to the left in is the King Central Avenue Bridge which is still used today in Cleveland, Ohio.
Click this link for a short history of The New Detroit-Superior High Level Bridge (1918) , By Stanley L. McMichael. This history is part of a larger collection from the 1918 work, Bridges of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County available online from The Cleveland Digital Library at Cleveland State University.
