BRIDGES FROM THE BEGINNING

TRANSPORTATION » » Across The Colorado River

PRIOR to the year 1915 the surest way to get across the Colorado River at Parker, Arizona, was via the Santa Fe Railroad. In May, 1915, regular ferry service was established at Parker with the paddle-wheel ferry boat "Iola."

Most of the business was prospectors' burros, Indian wagons and teams, with an occasional automobile. With a little advertising and much labor signing and improving the roads which lead into Parker the automobile transportation increased steadily, which necessitated larger and higher-powered ferry-boats. Thus the "Nellie T," "Julia B," and "Nellie Jo" were built, each of which would accommodate some six automobiles at a crossing.

This ferry business continued until December, 1935. At this time it became possible, through the river control by Boulder Dam, to build a pontoon bridge, which facilitated travel over the barrier, and the travel increased to several hundred cars daily soon after the bridge went into service.

During all these years a small group of business people and their representatives in the house of representatives of the state legislature were intensely interested in getting a permanent bridge across the river at this point, realizing that if Parker was to grow and business increase this town must be on a through highway between the wonderful Salt River Valley and the Pacific coast. After repeated appropriations by the Arizona state legislature and authorizations given the State Highway Department, the Highway Department, the Governor and other organizations in Arizona succeeded in getting the Bureau of Public Roads interested in building a bridge at Parker.

This new highway bridge, located on State Highway 72, connects the highways of Arizona with the paved highway built by the Metropolitan Water District on the California side of the Colorado River. This paved highway connects with all points west and north, so that Arizona at the present time is directly connected with the Pacific, Nevada, Utah and all northern points by a first class highway.