BLAIR HISTORICAL LANDMARK

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  Related Links:   Blair Bridge | Early Railroads in area

George Shattuck Morison  (1842-1903)
a graduate of Harvard, perfected his knowledge of engineering while serving as Chanute's principal assistant on the Erie Railroad. From 1880, Morison "devoted his attention for the next fourteen years to consulting practice. He built in rapid succession more than a score of great railroad bridges: 

• nine over the Missouri at:    [details]
  • Plattsmouth
  • Bismarck
  • Blair
  • Omaha
  • Rulo
  • Sioux City
  • Nebraska City
  • Atchison
  • Leavenworth
  • Bellefontaine Bluffs
• five over the Mississippi at
  • Winona
  • Burlington
  • Alton
  • St. Louis
  • Memphis
• one over the Ohio at Cairo,
• two over the Snake River in Washington
• one over the Columbia River in Washington,
• one over the Willamette at Portland, Ore.
• one over the St. John's at Jacksonville, Fla.,
• and many smaller bridges in all parts of the United States. 

Considering the magnitude and difficulty of most of the projects, this record stands unrivaled in the history of bridge construction. The Missouri River was regarded as the most treacherous stream in the country to bridge, and little precedent existed for such work. The perfection of methods for handling the pneumatic foundation work involved in these projects was one of Morison's most notable achievements. This period also marked the transition from wrought iron to steel in bridge construction, and Morison was the great pioneer in the use of the latter metal. The Memphis bridge, the longest truss span in America when completed, practically set the standard for later steel bridge specifications...
"At the time of his death he stood at the very pinnacle of the engineering profession. He was regarded as the leading bridge engineer in America, perhaps in the world, and had an international reputation as an expert in railways and waterways."­D.A.B., VII, p. 191.

Related Links:

• List of crossings of the Missouri River
  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   
• Morison:  Spanning the Missouri Reports
  Illustrate Report Portfolios of the Blair Crossing   (Engineering Drawings)
   
• Construction Images from Morison's Bridges
   
• Article about George S. Morison, The Master Builder
  Article by Elting E. Morison form AmericanHeritage.com 
   
• A Man for All Bridges -- George Shattuck Morison: Designer of the Portage High Bridge
  Article by Tom Breslin, October 2002
   
• Drawings of Morison's Bridges    [pdf #1]   [pdf #2]   [pdf #3]
  From American Memory Website -- Library of Congress
   
• "Memoir of George Shattuck Morison" by Gerber, E and H.G. Prout, C.C. Schenider,  Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol LIV, June 1905.
   
• References to the
  Early Railroads of Eastern Nebraska
  

Morison's Bridges:  

• Plattsmouth Bridge   Built 1880   [link]
  Over the Missouri River east of Plattsmouth, Nebraska by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
  (Chief Engineer George S. MORISON)
  
   
• Bismarck Bridge    Built 1881     [link]
  Over the Missouri River at Bismarck, Burleigh County, North Dakota by the Northern Pacific Railroad
  (Chief Engineer George S. MORISON)
  
   
• Blair Crossing Bridge    Built 1883     [link]
  Built over the Missouri River east of Blair, Nebraska by the Sioux City & Pacific railroad.
  (Chief Engineer George S. MORISON)
   
   
• Omaha Bridge    Built 1887  [link]
  Built over the Missouri River east of Blair, Nebraska by the Union Pacific Railroad
  In March 1868 Union Pacific announced that a bridge would be built between Omaha and Council Bluff.  The bridge was built and in use by March 1873.  .In 1877 the east side of the bridge was damaged by a cyclone, but not irreparably so. The bridge was, however, completely rebuilt in 1886 by Morison, and was completely rebuilt once again in 1916.
  (Engineer George S. MORISON)
   
   
• Rulo Bridge     Started 1885  Completed 1889  [link]
  Built over the Missouri River east Rulo, Nebraska by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
  (Chief Engineer George S. MORISON)
   
   
• Sioux City Bridge      Built 1888    [link]
  Built over the Missouri River by Sioux City, South Dakota
  (Chief Engineer George S. MORISON)
  
   
   
• Nebraska City Bridge    Built 1888     [link]
  Built over the Missouri River east of Nebraska City by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.
  (Chief Engineer George S. MORISON)
  
   
• Cairo Bridge   Built 1889  [link]  or [link]
  Built over the Ohio River at Alexander County, Illinois, and Ballard County, Kentucky
  (Chief Engineer George S. MORISON)
   
    
• Merchants Bridge    Built 1890  [link]
  Built over the Mississippi river at St. Louis, Missouri, and Madison County, Illinois  
  (Co-designer, George S. MORISON)
  
   
• Frisco Bridge a.k.a. Memphis Bridge    Completed 1892  [link]   [link] 
  Cantilevered through truss railroad bridge over the Mississippi River at Memphis
  Shelby County, Tennessee, and Crittenden County, Arkansas)
  (Chief Engineer George S. MORISON)
  
   
• The Bellefontaine Bridge  Built 1893    [link]
  Built over the Mississippi  river at West Alton, Missouri by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.
  (Chief Engineer George S. MORISON)
  
   
• Leavenworth Railroad Bridge   Built 1893-94  [link]  [link]
  Leavenworth County, Kansas, and Platte County, Missouri
  (Consulting Engineer George S. MORISON)
  
  
  

• Butler Bridge  Built 1882    [link]
  Spans Housatonic River on Butler Road (North Glendale Road), Stockbridge, Berkshire County, MA
  (Chief Engineer George S. MORISON)