There are the remains of an old bridge on the southeast side of Lake Overholser- really nothing more than a cement truss or two. I can't help but wonder about it when I'm riding my chopper around the lake and look over to see it below the damn. Anyone know the story behind the bridge? Was it a road, and did it have anything to do with old Route 66? Maybe a railroad crossing?

I think it is from rail tracks when they built the dam.

Okay, you've got my curiosity up. Stuff like this is what got me started on OKC Talk. Southeast side of the dam, huh? I've looked on Bing maps and Google maps. Are we talking the east bank of the river? About how far downstream? When I was a kid we used to swing on a rope under the old two-lane 10th street bridge. Lots of fun.

This link shows it: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4842098,-97.6670594,58m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

Thanks, I saw that but dismissed it as just another couple pieces of debris. True, the two pieces are on opposite sides of the stream but I wonder if that was the path of the stream when the dam went in (1916?). There have been floods since then. I'm not trying to discount your assumption just exploring the possibilities. The old Rock Island tracks are just about a mile south of there and they did pre-date the dam by a few years.

This link shows it: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4842098,-97.6670594,58m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

I am not sure if this is it but there was a pedestrian bridge washed out in the area a few years ago.

I realize that this is only marginally "on topic" but I have always been fascinated by the Lake Overholser Dam. Even though I saw Glen Canyon Dam many, many years prior to ever seeing the one forming Lake Overholser. I actually got to see Hoover (Boulder) Dam Once and it was really impressive. Still, one of my favorites remains the Pensacola Dam that created The Grand Lake o' The Cherokees.

Pensacola Dam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pensacola_Dam)

We are planning a little roadtrip, in a couple of weeks, to the Southwestern part of the state. Some of the sightseeing I'm planning to do is look at the dams for Lake Lawtonka, Lake Ellsworth, Led Jed Johnson, etc. I damn sure hope there's enough rain next week that the dams seem to have a function. Just not any rain on the projected day of the roadtrip.

RM,

If it does not rain be sure to check out Lake Lugert. Time was when the lake was low one could see the foundations of the Lugert townsite. Now, back on topic, the pedestrian bridge sounds plausible. Sufficient segue?

That aerial view (linked in post #4) certainly appears to show a paved trail, too narrow for vehicular traffic, coming to each end of the missing bridge...

Having looked at all aspects of this historical anomaly . . . I can't help but wonder if the relics in question didn't pre-date the dam and the lake. Perhaps it, that is, the possibly imaginary bridge(?), was a testimony to the value of pedestrian (and perhaps even goofy bicycle?) traffic when It encountered a pesky creek . . . Is being etched in stone the same thing as providing concrete supports?

(sorry . . . far too much Rick Steves/OETA/CreateTV and House of Cards in my viewing diet. time for a brisk walk. but not on the southside of Lake Overholser. =)

RM,

If it does not rain be sure to check out Lake Lugert. Time was when the lake was low one could see the foundations of the Lugert townsite. Now, back on topic, the pedestrian bridge sounds plausible. Sufficient segue?

My plan is to check all of them out. I will, however, eschew the disappointment of the detour to "Meers Store" for hamburgers. Or maybe I won't. =)

"Sufficient segue?" Exceeds Excellence. (imho) =)

Sorry, Tritone, I thought I had set the notifications up on this thread, but I guess I didn't. Just now discovered all of these posts. RTR has it with their link provided. Its on the lower left portion of the photo.

Still a puzzlement to me, but these posts have caused me to think a bit. I'd never thought about how the materials for the Overholser dam were carried in. Was it by rail? Sounds likely. Is it from a trail that predates the dam? Could be.

Sounds like you got out (your other threads) and enjoyed the roads a bit over the weekend. Mrs. Tritone and I will grab the Oklahoma road atlas, hop in the HHR, and make a few day trips in the coming months. There's always something to see if you just take your time.

... Was it a road, and did it have anything to do with old Route 66?
Maybe a railroad crossing?
That bridge is a part of US 66. I haven't read the other posts but they should
agree. I remember crossing the bridge in the 50's on our way to California and
later seeing the Yukon Mills sign.

North of the bridge was a turnaround for the Inter-Urban.

You're welcome.

I think it is from rail tracks when they built the dam.
There is no evidence of train tracks. None whatsoever.

Jim Kyle is close to 3 million years old. He should remember this.

I trust Jim Kyle, unless he's been drinking.... which he doesn't...
so there.

I hope this is some help to the members appreciating this thread.

Most of us call Lake Overholser "Lake Hold-Her-Closer". I believe this was
instigated in 1919 when the lake was formed.

At any rate, here are some facts about Lake Hold-Her-Closer, I mean Lake
Overholser.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Overholser

That bridge is a part of US 66. I haven't read the other posts but they should
agree. I remember crossing the bridge in the 50's on our way to California and
later seeing the Yukon Mills sign.

North of the bridge was a turnaround for the Inter-Urban.

You're welcome.

US 66 was never on the southeast side of the lake, where he was asking about, the parts re-designated from the original 66 are now what is now called either 36th or N Overholser Drive. The newer 66 is still labeled that but as a state designation.

US 66 was never on the southeast side of the lake, where he was asking about, the
parts re-designated from the original 66 are now what is now called either 36th or N
Overholser Drive. The newer 66 is still labeled that but as a state designation.
I respectfully disagree. The old bridge on NW 39th Expressway, SE Lake Overholser
is Route 66. The road then went through Yukon via the Yukon Mills plant.

I was there. I remember the road very well.

36th street goes directly into the lake. I ride it almost daily. Lake Overholser Drive
goes from NW 10th to, now state hiway, 66 which was Route 66.

I respectfully disagree. The old bridge on NW 39th Expressway, SE Lake Overholser
is Route 66. The road then went through Yukon via the Yukon Mills plant.

I was there. I remember the road very well.

36th street goes directly into the lake. I ride it almost daily. Lake Overholser Drive
goes from NW 10th to, now state hiway, 66 which was Route 66.

pp, everything you're saying is correct except the part about SE Lake Overholser. The bridge you are talking about, which is directly south of the current bridge, is not on the SE side of the lake. Look at the link in post number 4. That is what everyone here is discussing.

I respectfully disagree. The old bridge on NW 39th Expressway, SE Lake Overholser
is Route 66. The road then went through Yukon via the Yukon Mills plant.

I was there. I remember the road very well.

36th street goes directly into the lake. I ride it almost daily. Lake Overholser Drive
goes from NW 10th to, now state hiway, 66 which was Route 66.

http://www.magnvs.de/pics/OverholserBridge.jpg

Jim Kyle is close to 3 million years old. He should remember this.

I trust Jim Kyle, unless he's been drinking.... which he doesn't...
so there.Well, not quite 3 million -- though it sometimes seems even longer.

Route 66 never went SOUTH of Overholser; the old 66 bridge is at the north end of the lake, just sough of the current expressway, and still exists although a bit the worse for wear.

Most of us call Lake Overholser "Lake Hold-Her-Closer". And in the late 40s, the best place to watch the night submarine races was along the western shoreline...

The late 80s weren't bad, either.

From Google Earth:

10959

This bridge?

I believe this bridge was for a hiking trail. Google's imagery shows the bridge as far back as their imagery goes (1990); it looks like the bridge was destroyed sometime between 03/2007 and 05/2008.

The late 80s weren't bad, either.

What was the name of the area on the west side of the lake that you could pull in and drive a few hundred yards then drive back out? Anyways it was always packed on weekend nights with copious amount of booze, smoke and metal music. The name the "flats come to mind but I believe I could be wrong.

I respectfully disagree. The old bridge on NW 39th Expressway, SE Lake Overholser
is Route 66. The road then went through Yukon via the Yukon Mills plant.

I was there. I remember the road very well.

36th street goes directly into the lake. I ride it almost daily. Lake Overholser Drive
goes from NW 10th to, now state hiway, 66 which was Route 66.

The original part that was 36th was on the west side of the lake, not the east. The part of Overholser Drive you are talking about connecting to NW 10th is East Overholser drive, North Overhoser Drive is the old bridge and the road along the north side of the lake which connects it to 36th.

From Google Earth:

10959

This bridge?

I believe this bridge was for a hiking trail. Google's imagery shows the bridge as far back as their imagery goes (1990); it looks like the bridge was destroyed sometime between 03/2007 and 05/2008.

This bridge was part of a Western nature paved trail that ran along the River banks winds around along the riverbank you would then cross the bridge to a winding trail that take you to and back up to 10th street. If you park in the parking lot on the Western Damn there is a entrance mapping the trail and the bridge. There is a permanent fence that says Trail Closed Bridge Damage. Its a perfectly nice looking paved trail so apparently the bridge may have been damaged within the last decade. There is a gate with a map of the trail next time I go to the lake I will snap a picture and post on this blog. I never went over to read the trail sign but I did see the map and the trail name. It would be nice if the city can rebuild this bridge and reopen this Western Nature trail.

Nice info. I grew up playing in the river and that whole dam area but can count on one hand the number of times I've been there in the last forty years. We used to swing on rope under the 10th street bridge.

There's an article in the Oklahoman today about the aforementioned trail.

I remember the speed boat races on the north end of Overholser in the 60's

What was the name of the area on the west side of the lake that you could pull in and drive a few hundred yards then drive back out? Anyways it was always packed on weekend nights with copious amount of booze, smoke and metal music. The name the "flats come to mind but I believe I could be wrong.
The flats is what we called that place when I was frequenting it. :)

From Google Earth:

10959

This bridge?

I believe this bridge was for a hiking trail. Google's imagery shows the bridge as far back as their imagery goes (1990); it looks like the bridge was destroyed sometime between 03/2007 and 05/2008.
Well, that tears it for me... You've clearly shown evidence of a bridge.

I have lived right near the dam for the past two years, so I have been exploring the area. I too have wondered about the remains of this bridge. I always assumed it was part of a trail, as it was a weird area for an automobile bridge. However, last fall (2014) I walked from County Line Road, across an open grassy field, immediately south of where County Line Road runs into the lake, just before the parking lot on the right side of County Line. If you follow that grassy field back a ways to the east, towards the river, you come to a bunch of trees and it is a steep drop down to the bottom. There is an old car, and I mean OLD partly buried in the ground toward the bottom of the hill. It is mainly just a shell, sterring wheel, etc. It has to have been there since the 60's at the VERY latest. I will try and get some pictures next time I go out there. It is not too far to the west, down the bend in the river from where the ruined bridge sits. Ive always been curious why it ended up there, and if a road ever went thru there somewhere.