Berkhimer Bridge stands the test of time
Submitted by admin on Thu, 09/14/2023 - 6:13pm
You may know the Berkhimer Bridge on the west side of Humboldt, but do you know that John Berkhimer (left) and Arthur “Keith” Berkhimer (right) are the lone name descendants of the Berkhimer family? John, lives in Springvale Independent Living and Keith lives in Humboldt and Elaine Hood is his caretaker. Keith is 93 and John is 90. Submitted photo by Elaine Hood.
The one-lane plank wood deck Berkhimer Bridge on 215th Street west of the Humboldt city limits, is still in use today and receives a fair number of travelers on a given day. Humboldt Independent photo by Kent Thompson.
Special to the Independent
By Elaine Hood
Did you know that the Berkhimer Bridge, the oldest bridge in Humboldt County, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75336613)?
Two Humboldt brothers, Keith and John Berkhimer, are the lone namesake descendants of the Berkhimer family. The bridge, located west of Union Cemetery, was named in honor of their great grandfather Mathias Berkhimer.
It took Mathias Berkhimer six years and a seat on the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors before receiving a petition to have a bridge built over the West Fork of the Des Moines River in 1898. Read about the story in this week's Humboldt Independent.
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