I have another mystery for you all, and it's one that falls in the category of Cool Sh*t You Find in the Woods. A reader named Frank had tried to bring this to my attention a while back but I didn't get around to it. I did now and I'm glad I did, and I thank him for reaching out again. (I also thank him for the photos.) What he found is an old bridge in the woods on the south end of the Delaware Park property. I've tried, but I can't figure out why it's there.
It spans a small creek that runs south from White Clay Creek a short distance beyond the former Pennsylvania RR (now Amtrak) tracks. It's made of concrete, so it's almost certainly early or mid 20th Century. Anything older would have been wood or stone. It's not a railroad bridge, but I can't find any evidence of there ever being a vehicular road there. I've checked old maps and aerial views, but no road. So why is it there?
All I have are guesses, some better than others. A short-lived road or planned one, long gone? Access road for local farmers? Access road for DE Park vehicles? Since it's now covered with grass and dirt, maybe access over the creek for DE Park horses? Frank thinks he recalls seeing "1941" on it once, but he's not sure. Delaware Park opened in 1937, and this type of bridge was in use both before and after then. But it does look like the kind built to handle automobile traffic, not horse-drawn traffic.
So, does anyone happen to remember this bridge, or recall ever hearing about it? Does anyone have any better ideas as to who built it and why? It's a pretty substantial structure, and was definitely built for a reason -- I just can't figure out what that reason might be. To help you out, below are some more photos of the bridge, maps of its location, a 1937 aerial maybe showing it, and another similar bridge nearby on Telegraph Road.
