Bowman Creek Rail Bridge

Aka Blair Ditch Project.

This rail bridge is a very rare survivor and was built around 1850[ rail line on 1880 maps already]. It was used as a rail bridge as the old maps suggest. It's stone construction would suggest it's much older but supplies were scarce. This stone arch bridge was extremely time consuming and needed skilled workers to build.

Cement was used more as less skill was needed and was faster and so less of the stone bridges were built. The 'Quick Slab' bridge on Blair road now[in background of some pics] is like that. This rail line originated in Berlin off the Grand Trunk Rail line going south through German Mills, Doon and through Blair.

The now Morningside Drive and part of Blair Road now, were part of this rail line. It is very steep to the top on each side[ like a rail line] and very narrow strip on top as well , just wide enough for...... a train[ and electric trains were narrower].

The top of the bridge is/was too narrow for two way traffic and there were no roads here, in this direction, on the old maps anyway. Then after the electric track was done they then used parts of this abandoned rail for roads that were now built. This bridge will eventually crumble and be lost without maintenance. Early settlement here was around 1800. Around 1858 the name Blair was chosen but it had many names before.

It started out as Shinglebridge for the covered bridge over the grand in 1835. It looks like it crossed at the end of Old Mill Road. Lamb's Bridge , Durham and Durhamville were other names before Blair. This bridge is over Bowman Creek and Bowman owned most of the town at the time. Old, fragile, no graffiti, hidden, FM ! The creek goes east /west putting the rail line north/south as it was.