Before the auto bridge was built over the Missouri river at Blair in 1929, vehicles were ferried between Iowa and Nebraska on a river boat. The photo was taken on the Iowa side showing the 1883 Whipple Truss railroad bridge to the left. The photo dates before 1923 when the railroad bridge was changed from flat-top Whipple Bridge to the round top Parker Truss Bridge. It is interesting to note that even before the railroad bridge was built, a river ferry was used to transport rail cars across the river.

From the Lincoln Highway Archives of the Special Collection Library from the University of Michigan. Catalog #lhc2166.
Download Photo Scan from UM Library web site.                                                 Catalog No. BGR-0060