John Alexander Low Waddell
Civil engineer, 1854 to 1938, born in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada
Designer of the Seventh Street, Black River Bridge, the bridge that opened in Port Huron in 1932, on the National Register since 2000. Beyond Metro Detroit, Waddell designed the North End Bridge in Springfield, Massachusetts (1925) and the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge in Bourne, Massachusetts (1935).
- notable works beyond Metro Detroit
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John Alexander Low Waddell's skyline, here and beyond
The Seventh Street, Black River Bridge beside 3 of Waddell's notable works elsewhere, drawn paler, oldest at left. None has a height on record, so each is drawn at one standard size in the shape of its kind.
The Seventh Street, Black River Bridge beside 3 of Waddell's notable works elsewhere, drawn paler, oldest at left. None has a height on record, so each is drawn at one standard size in the shape of its kind.
Seventh Street, Black River Bridge
1932, Port Huron, height not on record, drawn at one standard size
Still standing, photographed 2012
Open its page- Standing
- Beyond Metro Detroit
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The story
The Civil engineer John Alexander Low Waddell was born in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada in 1854 and died in 1938. Waddell's mark on Metro Detroit is the Seventh Street, Black River Bridge, a bridge in Port Huron, finished in 1932 and listed on the National Register in 2000. Built through the Depression, the war years and the postwar move to the suburbs, it has stood for 94 years.
Far from Woodward Avenue, Waddell designed the North End Bridge in Springfield, Massachusetts (1925), the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge in Bourne, Massachusetts (1935), and the Dock Bridge in New Jersey (1935). On the Seventh Street, Black River Bridge, Waddell shares credit with Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company. Go see the Seventh Street, Black River Bridge at Seventh Street over the Black River for yourself.
John Alexander Low Waddell (January 15, 1854, March 3, 1938, often shortened to J.A.L. Waddell and sometimes known as John Alexander Waddell) was a Canadian-American civil engineer and prolific bridge designer, with more than a thousand structures to his credit.
John Alexander Low Waddell's work in Metro Detroit
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Seventh Street, Black River Bridge
1932, Port Huron, Structure
Still standing, photographed 2012
Photo: Notorious4life at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Where else Waddell built
5 notable works by John Alexander Low Waddell in 5 places, from 1925 to 1935, as Wikidata lists them.
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North End Bridge Springfield, Massachusetts, 1925 Photo: User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons -
Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge Bourne, Massachusetts, 1935 Photo: Jpo at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons -
Dock Bridge New Jersey, 1935 Photo: JamesPFisherIII, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons -
Kansas City Southern Railroad Bridge, Cross Bayou Louisiana Photo: Archangle0, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons -
Waddell "A" Truss Bridge Missouri Photo: Image taken by unknown photographer, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Who Waddell worked with
- Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company on the Seventh Street, Black River Bridge
Where the work stands
Photo credits
All 7 photos on John Alexander Low Waddell's page, each with its author, license and the original.
- Seventh Street-Black River Bridge (Port Huron, Michigan), 2012 Photo: Notorious4life at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- John Alexander Low Waddell, 1928 Photo: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- North End Bridge Photo: User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge Photo: Jpo at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dock Bridge Photo: JamesPFisherIII, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kansas City Southern Railroad Bridge, Cross Bayou Photo: Archangle0, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Waddell "A" Truss Bridge Photo: Image taken by unknown photographer, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sources
The facts on John Alexander Low Waddell come from Wikidata, Wikipedia, and Photos; Rebuild Detroit wrote the story above from them, and each photo names its license.