South Llano Crossing
Junction, Kimble County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The spanning of the South Llano River has been a major concern for the citizens of Junction since the town's founding in 1876. The original crossing point was located slightly south of the junction of the North and South Llano Rivers. Although earlier bridges existed along this stretch of the river, a bridge built in 1916 accommodated travelers along the transcontinental Old Spanish Trail Highway. When the 1916 bridge became functionally obsolete, another modern bridge was completed in 1937. Joe R. Andrews was killed during the last days of the bridge's construction, in the rush to complete it. Today, the bridge overlooks Lake Junction, created by a dam built in 1965. (2008)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Bridging the South Llano River preoccupied the citizens of Junction from the town's founding in 1876. A span built in 1916 carried travelers along the transcontinental Old Spanish Trail Highway, and a modern replacement followed in 1937, its rushed completion costing a worker his life. Today the crossing overlooks a lake formed by a dam raised in 1965.
Why it matters
River crossings like this were the make-or-break infrastructure of a town's survival, tying isolated West Texas into the era's ambitious cross-country highways.
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Related people
- · Joe R. Andrews
Themes & tags
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