The Haunting Tale of Bellamy Bridge
4The site where the Bellamy Bridge now stands was purchased by Dr. Edward C. Bellamy in 1836 and moved there with his wife, Nancy Ann Croom Bellamy. His brother, Dr. Samuel Crowell Bellamy was married to his wife’s sister, Elizabeth Jane Croom Bellamy who would later become the centerpiece for the legend that this bridge is known for. Bellamy operated the site as the “Terre Bonne Plantation”. The area now covered in swamps and forests was once open fields where he farmed cotton, rice, and sugar. He owned the land until 1861 at the start of the American Civil War.
The first wooden bridge was constructed in 1851 by Dr. Horace Ely and Bird B. Hathaway. Confederate troops would guard the bridge from Union troops looking to cross, but it was never attacked. The bridge eventually succumbed to the elements and a replacement bridge was completed in 1872, but would only last two years before a major flood destroyed it. A third wooden bridge was constructed in 1874 and lasted until 1914 when it was replaced with the steel-frame bridge we have today. The steel-frame bridge was built by the Converse Bridge & Steel Company for $2,389. Sitting at 119 feet long, it is the oldest truss bridge in Florida and just in general, one of the oldest standing bridges in the state.
The bridge remained in use until 1963 when the nearby concrete bridge on CR-162 was built and has been closed to vehicular traffic since then. The wooden planks have decayed with time, eventually falling into the river. The Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail was opened on November 1, 2012, allowing the public to visit the structure. It is located on Jacob Road about 7 miles off of US-231.
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00:00 - Bellamy Bridge
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