The Indian Ford Bridge was one of nine metal highway bridges in Fulton County, Illinois listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This particular one was located along County Highway 20 as spans the Spoon River, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of London Mills. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 29, 1980, along with the eight other bridges, as one of the "Metal Highway Bridges of Fulton County." Some of the other bridges included London Mill's only other Registered Historic Place, the now demolished London Mills Bridge. Other demolished bridges include the Elrod Bridge, Duncan Mills Bridge and Buckeye Bridge.
Indian Ford Bridge is one of the five bridges submitted under the Fulton County Metal Highway Bridges Multiple Property Submission to have been demolished since its inclusion on the Register.
Indian Ford was a crossing of the Spoon River named by Job Babbit, an early Fulton County pioneer who helped survey a road from Farmington to Burlington in 1835 and named Union Township. According to Chapman's History of Fulton County (p. 886), Babbit discovered, where the road crossed the river, a trough made from an elm log that was fastened to the fork of a tree. It contained the skeletal remains of an American Indian.
Famous quotes containing the words indian, ford and/or bridge:
“Most of the folktales dealing with the Indians are lurid and romantic. The story of the Indian lovers who were refused permission to wed and committed suicide is common to many places. Local residents point out cliffs where Indian maidens leaped to their death until it would seem that the first duty of all Indian girls was to jump off cliffs.”
—For the State of Iowa, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“Tell the truth, work hard, and come to dinner on time.”
—Gerald R. Ford (b. 1913)
“Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.”
—Paul Simon (b. 1949)