Saturday, April 21, 2012

K and M Railroad

I had an interesting day in the Gallipolis/Point Pleasant area.  I visited a railroad bridge connecting Ohio and West Virginia that was part of the K and M Railroad.  The Kanawha and Michigan Railroad ended up running into Fayette County, and it connected the Great Lakes with West Virginia.  Interestingly, located in very close proximity to this was the original Silver Bridge which collapsed in 1967 killing 46 people; a replacement, the Silver Memorial Bridge, was completed in 1969 at distance of roughly 1.5 kilometers down river.  Many of us are familiar with the Mothman tales related to the bridge.  Yet, for me, I still remember my father telling the story of how he and my mother were at the original Bob Evans eating when it happened.  They were going to go dancing at club in Point Pleasant, but dad wanted a Dutch Boy sandwhich from Bob Evans; a Dutch Boy was a cheeseburger he was fond of.  While they were eating, my Uncle Francis arrived saying grandma had sent him to look for dad because that !!??!!?? Silver Bridge had fallen. 


Here are the two bridgs next to one another.  I find it intersting that they were so close to one another.