The Indian Territory in the Civil War Message Board

Philadelphia Connection to Beale's Iron Bridges

The Philadelphia Connection

The birth of the Beale Wagon Road in 1859, the first federally-funded wagon road to the Pacific, was eminently connected to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Edward F. Beale’s home was located in nearby Chester, PA, and so was his brother-in-law, Henry (a.k.a. Harry) B. Edwards. His six iron bridges for the wagon road, located in Indian Territory, were fabricated by the Pencoyd Iron Works and Bridge Company located in suburban Philadelphia. The bridges’ design-build contractor was the A.& P. Roberts & Co., 410 Walnut St., Philadelphia, who were major owners of the Pencoyd Iron Works. John W. Murphy, a protégé of Squire Whipple, served as an iron bridge engineer for A.& P. Roberts & Co. Murphy soon formed the Murphy-Whipple Iron Bridge Company, in January 1861, at 333 Walnut St., one block down the street from A.& P. Roberts & Co. Construction in Indian Territory of the six Whipple bowstring iron bridges was headed J. R. Nevins, assisted by Messers. Van Anden and Everett, also of Philadelphia.

http://www.pennrealestategroup.com/pencoyd_ironworks_history.htm

Thus, the construction of the Beale Wagon Road in 1859 in Indian Territory was an important news story for the major newspapers of Philadelphia. One Philadelphia newspaper, The Press, sent a young correspondent out to Indian Territory to cover the Beale story and write any other “letters” about the local Indian Nations he felt Eastern readers would read. This young man wrote at least seven letters about his trip to Indian Territory under the pseudonym of the “Wanderer,” a common literary practice of the day.

Messages In This Thread

Five Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridges in IT
Redbank Creek
Sans Bois Creek
Re: Sans Bois Creek
Re: Five Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridges in IT
Re: Five Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridges in IT
Longtown Creek
Poteau River
Poteau River Beale Iron Bridge Location
Re: Poteau River Beale Iron Bridge Location
Re: Poteau River Beale Iron Bridge Location
Beale Bridge Location Not "E Street"
Re: Beale Bridge Location Not "E Street"
Stephen, Looking Back
Re: Stephen, Looking Back
Whipple's Iron Bridges?
Re: Beale Bridge Location Not "E Street"
Beale Wagon Road's Carnall St. Bridge in Ft. Smith
Re: Poteau River Beale Iron Bridge Location
Re: Poteau River Beale Iron Bridge Location
Carnall Ave. Crossing of Poteau--It's a FERRY
Summary: Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridges in IT
Emachaya Creek was a Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridge
Otter Creek was Little Sans Bois
VIP Correction to Timeline of ARJ article
Beale Wagon Road’s Six Iron Bridges in IT
Re: Beale Wagon Road’s Six Iron Bridges in IT
More on Location of Poteau River Bridge
More on Site of Poteau River Iron Bridge
BWR Route Thru Winchester Mt.
Support for BWR Route Thru Winchester Mt.
Re: BWR Route Thru Winchester Mt.
Re: BWR Route Thru Winchester Mt.
Re: BWR Route Thru Winchester Mt.
What a night on Winchester Mt.
Fort Smith-Ft. Laramie-Ft. Worth Bowstring Bridges
Re: Fort Smith-Ft. Laramie-Ft. Worth Bowstring Bri
Historic Ft. Laramie Bridge Picture
Fort Scott Bowstring Arch Bridge
Six Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridges in IT
The Beale - Edwards Connection
The Wanderer's Letters on the Beale Bridges
Re: The Wanderer's Letters on the Beale Bridges
Re: The Wanderer's Letters on the Beale Bridges
Wanderer's Eighth Letter Found
Re: Wanderer's Eighth Letter Found
Beale Wagon Road??
Wanderer's Nov. 3 Letter on the Beale Bridges
Re: Wanderer's Nov. 3 Letter on the Beale Bridges
Wanderer's Nov. 16 Letter on the Poteau Bridge
Who was the Wanderer?
More info on the Wanderer
Re: More info on the Wanderer
John Russell Young's biography
Re: John Russell Young's biography
Re: John Russell Young's biography
"Mr. President, Is That All?"
Wanderer's "North Fork Town" Letter
Re: The Wanderer's Letters on the Beale Bridges
Who was the Wanderer? Grant's Biographer??
Re: Who was the Wanderer? Grant's Biographer??
More on Wanderer=Young
Re: More on Wanderer=Young
Re: More on Wanderer=Young
Philadelphia Connection to Beale's Iron Bridges
New Book on Pencoyd Iron Works of Philadelphia
Edwards Goes To Washington
Signs for BWR in Pottawatomie County
Update for Six Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridges in IT
Info on Iron Bridge Across Sans Bois Creek
Finding Iron Bridge Across Sans Bois Creek??
Greig & Graham--The Arkansas Stone Masons
Re: Update for Six Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridges i
Jim Stewart's Commentary and Guidance
The Six 1859 Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridges in IT
Re: Update for Six Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridges i
Why Did Army Fund BWR in IT??
Army Using BWR to Supply Fort Cobb
Re: Update for Six Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridges i
Beale Wagon Road in Indian Territory
Kerlin's Well Serving Beale Wagon Road
Primary References for Beale Wagon Road
Historical Sites for Western Beale Wagon Road
Updates on Western Beale Wagon Road
BWR Passing Thru Flagstaff, AZ
Update for BWR Passing Thru Flagstaff, AZ
Update for Historical Sites for Western BWR
Re: Update for Historical Sites for Western BWR
Re: Update for Historical Sites for Western BWR
Re: Update for Historical Sites for Western BWR
Location of Hardyville on Rumsey Map
Trouble Crossing the Colorado
Re: Trouble Crossing the Colorado
Re: Trouble Crossing the Colorado
Re: Trouble Crossing the Colorado
U.S. Cavalry - Regular Army
Re: U.S. Cavalry - Regular Army
Re: Update for Historical Sites for Western BWR
Correction for Overview
Video Updates for Historical Sites for Western BWR
Last Camp for Hi Jolly and U.S. Army's Camel Corps
Good URL for Hi Jolly and U.S. Army's Camels
Register Rock-- A Historical Site for Western BWR
Beale Wagon Road Historical Marker in Texas
Rock Mary-Oklahoma's First Marker to California
A New Reference for Beale Wagon Road is Done!
Your Copy of Beale Wagon Road is Available!
Websites for Wanderer's Eight Letters
Wanderer's Western Trip to Fort Smith
URL's to Wanderer's A,B,C Letters
Re: Five Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridges in IT
Re: Five Beale Wagon Road Iron Bridges in IT
BEALE BRIDGE SITE FOUND
Re: BEALE BRIDGE SITE FOUND
Kyle Burch's Pictures at Redbank Creek
Jack Beale Smith's Example Picture
Re: Jack Beale Smith's Example Picture
Re: Jack Beale Smith's Example Picture
Beale Bridge Pictures at Redbank Creek
Beale Bridge Sign -- A National Treasure?
Another Pencoyd-Murphy Business Card
The Holy Grail Discovery for Beale Wagon Road
A Tribute to John Russell Young
Beale Wagon Road to Pacific Coast. Library Copy.
Direct URL's to Manuscript on Beale's Iron Bridges
The History Channel
Re: The History Channel