Bell Bridge
bridge over the Niobrara River in Nebraska
The Bell Bridge, crossing the Niobrara River near Valentine, Nebraska, is a historic bridge that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It is a Pratt through truss bridge that was designed by the Canton Bridge Co. of Canton, Ohio, fabricated by the Cambria Steel Co. of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and built by the Canton Bridge Co. It was built in 1903 and brings a Cherry County road across the Niobrara, 11.9 miles northeast of Valentine. It has also been known as the Allen Bridge and the Niobrara River Bridge and is registered as NEHBS No. CE00-22.
It is one of just four bridges in Cherry County that survived a flood in February, 1916. According to its NRHP nomination it is notable as "one of the oldest, longest and best-preserved of Cherry County's remarkable group of through trusses" and is "distinguished as one of the handful of pre-1916 trusses remaining" in the county and in the state.
National Register designation was given in 1992.
The public source identifies “Bell Bridge” as bridge over the Niobrara River in Nebraska. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Bell, Bridge and bridge.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Bell Bridge”, the useful work is to connect “bridge over the Niobrara River in Nebraska” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q14704808. Authority coordinates are 42.895, -100.322. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1903, 1916 and 1992.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
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Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Bell Bridge”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Bell Bridge primary sources, Bell Bridge archive and Bell research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
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Questions for further research
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Bell Bridge” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.