Military Monday: Asotin County Memorial Bridge, Asotin, Washington

In honor of Veterans Day and for The Honor Roll Project, I decided to transcribe the World War I Honor Rolls on the Asotin County Memorial Bridge in Asotin, Washington.

Asotin County Memorial Bridge (Asotin, Washington) [20 August 2014, looking east, cropped]

 / C Hanchey / CC BY-NC 2.0

The Asotin County Memorial Bridge, in the county seat of Asotin, Washington, on the border with Idaho, spans the short distance over Asotin Creek, which empties into the Snake River.  Each corner of the bridge has a pillar with an honor roll plaque with the inscription:

SERVICE ROLL

ASOTIN COUNTY

MEMORIAL BRIDGE

DEDICATED IN HONOR AND

MEMORY OF THOSE WHO

SERVED IN THE WORLD WAR

In this case, World War I, as each plaque also has "1914 - 1918" near the bottom.

Here are the four plaques, in alphabetical order, with their transcriptions following.  All those listed resided in mostly-rural Asotin County, Washington - which apparently had an impressive 334 service members in World War I, including at least one woman.  An asterisk before a name indicates that the service member died during the war.  Links to FindAGrave memorials have been added when a connection to Asotin County could be found.

Asotin County Memorial Bridge (Asotin, Washington) [20 August 2014, panel 1, cropped]

 / C Hanchey / CC BY-NC 2.0

James W. Abbott John Abbott Calvin Addison Francis Ahalt Ernest J. Anderson E. Cliff Aplington R. L. Appleford Tracy Appleford Wm. Ashley Lawrence Autrey *Perry W. Baldwin Willis Baldwin Jesse F. Bales Marion Bales Alfred Bauch Chester Beaudry Lawrence Beaudry D. R. Beckman Vern Beckman Harold Beckmann Arthur Benedict Elmer Biddison Casper Bilyeu *Merle C. Bingham Henry G. Bishop Theodore Bishop Joe Bittle Walter C. Bly

Charlie V. Boggan Henry N. Bonson Albert Born John Bottomly Everett Brantner Orval Brantner Charles Brogger Harry N. Brown Walter S. Brown Herbert Bucholz Claude F. Buechner Leo Buescher Fred Bulfinch Kale Bulfinch Alva A. Butler Albert B. Campbell Earl Campbell George Campbell David W. Carpenter Clay Cate Carl E. Chandler Samuel G. Chandler Daniel Clark Geo. W. Clark Carl B. Clear Roland Cleary Wm. C. Clemens Frank H. Chandler Richard H. Chandler

Clyde Cook Jack E. Columbus Wm. E. Colwell Earl Cooper Dennis Costello Joseph Coulter Dale Crowser Albert Davis Chester A. Davis Dent Davis Lillian M. Davis Melvin S. Davis Raymond L. Davis Wayne Davis Ralph De Beaumont Lloyd B. De Lore Robt. De Lore Wm. T. Delp Arthur Diebel George Diebel Robert Diebel Earl Duncan B. Dustan Clarence Earl Clarence Everson Wm. E. Farnham Chas. Fehr Ray Ferguson

Asotin County Memorial Bridge (Asotin, Washington) [20 August 2014, panel 2, cropped]

 / C Hanchey / CC BY-NC 2.0

Charles Fields Glen Fields Dell Finch Thomas Finch Byron Fine Ralph W. Fite *Roy Fite G. W. Fitzsimmons Wm. H. Flatt Chelsea Floch Robert Floch Louis Florence Clarence E. Forbes Dell Forgey Claude G. Franklin Everett W. Fraser S. T. Fuller J. H. Fulton Glen Gano Samuel J. Gatherer Leslie Garrison Virgil Grant George S. Graves Clyde J. Greene Jesse H. Greene Morgan Gregory *Levi L. Griffin Wm. J. Griffin

*Fred Gruver Harry Gruver Frank Guenkel *Archie M. Halsey Burt C. Halsey Coy Halsey Wm. Hames Earl Hamill Jack Hamill Wilbur Hardy Roy Harmon William Harmon Arthur Harris H. M. Harrison Howard Harwick Harry Henderson Wiltse Henderson Elmer Herndon John Hickenbottom Ed. Hodge Enoch R. Holland Lester Hoobler *August Hopkins Frank Z. Horak C. H. Houchens Lester B. Houchens Charles O. Howard

Ernest E. Hulse Delbert Hunt Carl L. Ingram Mancel R. Ingram Walter Jackson Monte Jacobson Ben Johnson Edgar Johnson Mark Johnson Lillian Johnston Ernest Johnston Clarence Jones Estyn Jones M. A. Jones Roger Jones Hartzel Jurgens Wenzel Jurgens Fred Kennedy Robert Kidwell Arthur Kiele John S. Kimball Allan King Earl King Elton King Leo King Homer Knapp *Thomas Knapp George Knopes

Asotin County Memorial Bridge (Asotin, Washington) [20 August 2014, panel 3, cropped]

 / C Hanchey / CC BY-NC 2.0

Loyd Kuehl Morris Lang Glen Langdon Harry L. Langdon John L. Larson Emory Lathrop Wm. F. Lathrop Leslie Latta Hugh Laufer Frank Ledford Earl Russel Lee *Fred Le Francis Wm. A. Le Francis Carl J. Lehfeldt Fritz A. Lehfeldt Lawrence Leininger Edgar A. Leland Elmer Leland Richard Ray Lile Harvey Longfellow Wm. Longfellow Annette Lorer John Lotte Robert Lusk Emmet Lynch Jonathan McAssey Allen McCracken Floyd McCracken

Oren McCracken Lance McCready Allen McCredie Lynn S. McCredie Gilson A. McNeill Oscar McNeill Ivan McPherson Henry Madison Roy Madison Hugh Malcom Chas. S. Malcom Ben B. Mallory Lloyd Marker Calvin Martin Elwin Matheny Wm. Mattoon L. R. Michael Forest Miller *Earl Millsap Everett Millsap Leslie Millsap Russell Millsap Hubert Mohundro Charles Moore *John Moore Wm. L. Morgan *John C. Morris

Oval Morrow *Henry D. Moses Ernest A. Mosier Jesse Naftzinger R. E. Newbill Dale Nobles Estyn R. Old Oscar W. Olson Frank Osborne Harry Palmer Albert Parsons Eugene Parsons *John Partridge Elwood Pearson George Pelton Harvey C. Pelton Julius I. Perrin George Persons August Peterson Edward H. Peterson Wilbur Petty Harry C. Phillips Ed. Pitman John Plummer Robert Plunkett W. W. Porter Alva Powell Neal Prichard

Asotin County Memorial Bridge (Asotin, Washington) [20 August 2014, panel 4, cropped]

 / C Hanchey / CC BY-NC 2.0

Henry Pruitt Leo Raaberg Elmer Ralston *Wm. H. Ramey Thomas Rimmelspacher Clarence B. Roberts Edwin Roberts Elveus A. Roberts Clarence Robison Guy Rogers Clarence Rognstad Louis Rognstad Kenneth Ross Wm. Ross Gerald Rummel Charles Rusher Reid Sangster James Sarro Walter Savage Paul Schurman James Scott Wallace Scott Dewey Settles *Lester Sexton Levi W. Sexton J. Louis Shapley Homer B. Shaw Gerald Sigel

Richard Sill Harold Singleton Lawrence Sittkus Ray Smiley David W. Smith Francis J. Smith Walter Smith John Standley Thomas Stanfill Wm. A. Steele Hubert Stephens Carleton Stewart Norman A. Stewart Ed. W. St. John Geo. A. Stout H. Boyd Talbott Harry C. Talbott Walter Talbott Arthur Taplin Oscar Taplin Gray M. Taylor Lyle C. Taylor Marion Tedford John G. Tervooren P. H. Tervooren John Thormahlen James G. Tierney

Raymond True Walter Trueblood Alex J. Unruh L. Valtz Maurice D. Van Arsdol Elmer Van Slyke *Howard Van Voris W. T. Van Voris Julius Vebres Frank Votaw Darrell Walls Martin Ward John K. Warren *Roy Watson Thomas Watson Harry A. Whitney Lee Whitney Lloyd Whiton *John Wm. Whittaker Morris Williams Grant E. Wilson Harry Windus Earl E. Wiseman Einar Wold Frank J. Wolf Louis E. Wolford Willard A. Wyatt Wm. R. Yeoman

Asotin County Memorial Bridge (Asotin, Washington) [20 August 2014, under bridge, cropped]

 / C Hanchey / CC BY-NC 2.0

According to Bridgehunter.com, a website about "historic and notable" bridges in the United States,

The town of Asotin was prepared to replace the wooden bridge carrying Meador Street across the Asotin Creek in the summer of 1919. That span, built in 1902 by the Caywood brothers, was badly deteriorated after twenty years heavy traffic and the effects of several floods. The town council and the county commission budgeted $10,500 for it to be torn down and replaced by a steel bridge spanning the creek at Second Street.

A Fourth of July editorial in the Asotin County Sentinal led to the adoption of a proposal by Doctor S.D. Brazeau to scrap the plan for a new steel bridge and in its place erect an eye catching concrete arch to memorialize the local men who lost their lives in the recently ended Great War. The more elaborate span would cost $6,000 more than the sum allocated for the original project and this amount was raised through a private donation campaign. The first pledge was made by J.C. Halsey, whose son [Archie M. Halsey] was the last of seven Asotin County residents killed in the conflict.

The finished bridge is a wide elliptical concrete arch topped by an ornamental balustrade. Four pillars with hammer brushed insets adorned with brass plaques listing the names of the area’s veterans and topped by Victorian street lamps mark its approaches. A spiral staircase at the north end leads to a small creekside park.

The United States World War I Centennial Commission adds that "A smaller version of the bridge was constructed for pedestrians entering the community park south of the Memorial Bridge," and notes that it was built in 1920 by the Security Bridge Company of nearby Lewiston, Idaho, designed by R.F. Lorino of Lewiston, and dedicated on Veterans Day, November 11, 1922.

An old photo of the bridge from the 1920s-1930s is here.


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