Welcome to Bolivar Street, the western edge of Jefferson City’s
Millbottom. From the mid-1880’s, the river, roads and train tracks
converging in Millbottom, made it the natural location for
Jefferson City’s emerging industrial growth. Up until the late
1860’s, the river was the primary artery for commerce, and
steamboats carried goods in and out of the Capitol City. The
low-lying area around Wears Creek became the city’s main boat
landing.
This thriving neighborhood was mostly working class German
immigrants. Two important changes in the 1850’s transformed the
area in the city’s industrial center. One was the improvement of
streets and footbridges that connected the area to the rest of the
city east of it, and the other was the railroad.
Millbottom was named for the mills built and operated there.
Looking east in the mid-1880’s, you would have seen the large
Victoria Mill, a grist mill that provided may jobs for the
neighborhood residents. The area was also home to the Capitol Star
Mill, which in its heyday was producing 500 barrels of flour per
day and shipping all over the country by rail and steamship.
Another imposing structure was the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Company roundhouse erected in the 1880’s and razed in the
1970’s.
All the growth and success was threatened by the continuing
battle over whether the State Capitol should remain in Jefferson
City. Sedalia argued that, because there was no bridge, Jefferson
City was inaccessible to the residents north of the Missouri River.
Columbia also was vying to be the seat of the State Capitol. St.
Charles, home of the first state capital, argued that Jefferson
City was devoid of culture and was just a way station as the
country moved westward.
To protect and ensure the city’s prosperity, in 1893 a special
committee of the local Commercial Club organized to raise money to
build a bridge. Businessmen and property owners formed a
corporation and raised the entire $225,000 to finance the venture.
This site, the north end of Bolivar Street, was selected for the
bridge.
Construction began in 1895 and the bridge opened on February 17,
1896. It operated as a toll bridge through three successive owners.
In 1932, the bond was retired and the bridge was turned over to the
state. In 1934, the state installed the art deco pillars.
This bridge was unusual, one section of the bridge deck rotated
to allow the river’s boat traffic to proceed up and down stream. It
was replaced by the current (west) bridge that carries southbound
traffic into the city today. The second bridge, which carries
northbound traffic out of the city was built in 1991.
You are standing at a natural observation spot where Jefferson
Citians and visitors have been watching boats, trains, cars and
planes for well over a century. The park has been recently
renovated and is a great location for a picnic lunch. There are a
number of picnic tables and it’s a really nice park. The cache you
are looking for is a micro, there is no room for trading in here.
Please bring your own pen to log the cache.