I remember the swinging bridge from way back. We would go from West End playground to the Island playground. We would cut down the alley to 4th Aveunue to Pullman Park and just behind cross the creek on the "Swinging Bridge". We also played Huck Finn with rafts on the creek!!! I am so glad it is still there---must bring my kids to see. Thanks Charles!!!
Beautiful picture, too bad in RATTY part of town. You couldnt' PAY me to go near that area. Too bad the police don't stake out the bridge. I'm sure they could andn would find many a'drug dealer/activity going on.
The bridge was built in 1910 for the guys that lived in that end of town to walk to Pullman. It is the only suspension bridge in Butler County the home of John Roebling, the builder of the Brooklyn Bridge and founder of Saxonburg.
Went there 2 years ago when I was visiting family. My brother, who lives out of the area now, wanted to go down and see it. I remember the bridge mostly because he took me that way a couple of times to sneak in to Pullman Park. It was fun to walk across one more time.
I remember going down to that area to catch Gater Snakes. For some reason that area use to be full of them. The creek which I believe is Sullivan's Run seemed polluted so we strayed clear of it. I hope they cleaned it up.
the island was not a bad place to grow up regardless of what people think. how we use to love going across the bridge to see the games at pullman park or just to play in the "crik" when we were younger. wewent to many a Neighborhood Night at the playground and remember how the playgrounds played each other in sports tournaments? good, simple times.
I thought the new ballpark construction had blocked off access to the bridge. I grew up on 4th Avenue and we always used to play around the bridge and in the creek. The neighborhood wasn't so bad then - it went downhill later. Thanks for this picture - I will be back in Butler for Thanksgiving this year and will try to stop by.
Four women face charges for fighting in the city of Butler on Sunday night. Police identify the suspects as Beth Neff, Jennifer Smith, Samantha Harold and Christine Wahler. Officers say there is an ongoing dispute between the women and the Sunday night scuffle near the swinging bridge at the end of West Diamond Street started with a series of text messages. Neff, age 35, Smith, who is 22 and Wahler, 26, all live in Butler. The police report did not list an address for Harold, who is 20. Neff sustained a minor injury and required medical treatment
The Swinging Bridge is there and in great shape. You can learn more about it in a book available at the Butler County Historical Society called "Beyond the Swinging Bridge" tell about life on the Island in the 1930's to about 1970's. This was the era when the Island was a great place to live. Rick
There it is, Butler's Swinging Bridge over Connoquenessing Creek, where I spent much of my childhood playing in the creek, and even jumping off the bridge into the shallow rocky creek bed. The creek was just a few blocks from my house and we spent hours upon hours there wading, cooling off, building dams, collecting rocks, playing army, and many other things. As you can see from this 2009 picture, the creek has been filled in, but the bridge remains.
These comments sound like you could be friends I grew up with. I did all the things you are talking there as a kid in the late 60's. As to the nature of the area, that lot behind the ball park was always a little sketchy, but we played there all the time as kids. The homeless of the time were mostly just drunken men, who couldn't go home yet. We just called them bums, and they would sleep it off in the grass there. We would harass them in the morning, waking them up until they chased us. One got ahold of me once, but I slipped out of my jacket. My first charity gift to the homeless. I know. We sucked, but it was a more real time, with less bullshit.
Photo: Barbara Bloom
15 comments:
I have never seen that. When I go back I will have to check that out. Excellent choice for the blog
I remember the swinging bridge from way back. We would go from West End playground to the Island playground. We would cut down the alley to 4th Aveunue to Pullman Park and just behind cross the creek on the "Swinging Bridge". We also played Huck Finn with rafts on the creek!!! I am so glad it is still there---must bring my kids to see. Thanks Charles!!!
Was just thinking about this the other day! THANKS!
You may want to go during the day because once the sun goes down a certain criminal element take up residence in that area
Beautiful picture, too bad in RATTY part of town. You couldnt' PAY me to go near that area. Too bad the police don't stake out the bridge. I'm sure they could andn would find many a'drug dealer/activity going on.
The bridge was built in 1910 for the guys that lived in that end of town to walk to Pullman. It is the only suspension bridge in Butler County the home of John Roebling, the builder of the Brooklyn Bridge and founder of Saxonburg.
Went there 2 years ago when I was visiting family. My brother, who lives out of the area now, wanted to go down and see it. I remember the bridge mostly because he took me that way a couple of times to sneak in to Pullman Park. It was fun to walk across one more time.
I remember going down to that area to catch Gater Snakes. For some reason that area use to be full of them. The creek which I believe is Sullivan's Run seemed polluted so we strayed clear of it. I hope they cleaned it up.
the island was not a bad place to grow up regardless of what people think. how we use to love going across the bridge to see the games at pullman park or just to play in the "crik" when we were younger. wewent to many a Neighborhood Night at the playground and remember how the playgrounds played each other in sports tournaments? good, simple times.
I thought the new ballpark construction had blocked off access to the bridge. I grew up on 4th Avenue and we always used to play around the bridge and in the creek. The neighborhood wasn't so bad then - it went downhill later. Thanks for this picture - I will be back in Butler for Thanksgiving this year and will try to stop by.
Russ Bilowich
Four women face charges for fighting in the city of Butler on Sunday night.
Police identify the suspects as Beth Neff, Jennifer Smith, Samantha Harold and Christine Wahler.
Officers say there is an ongoing dispute between the women and the Sunday night scuffle near the swinging bridge at the end of West Diamond Street started with a series of text messages.
Neff, age 35, Smith, who is 22 and Wahler, 26, all live in Butler. The police report did not list an address for Harold, who is 20.
Neff sustained a minor injury and required medical treatment
The Swinging Bridge is there and in great shape. You can learn more about it in a book available at the Butler County Historical Society called "Beyond the Swinging Bridge" tell about life on the Island in the 1930's to about 1970's. This was the era when the Island was a great place to live. Rick
There it is, Butler's Swinging Bridge over Connoquenessing Creek, where I spent much of my childhood playing in the creek, and even jumping off the bridge into the shallow rocky creek bed. The creek was just a few blocks from my house and we spent hours upon hours there wading, cooling off, building dams, collecting rocks, playing army, and many other things. As you can see from this 2009 picture, the creek has been filled in, but the bridge remains.
These comments sound like you could be friends I grew up with. I did all the things you are talking there as a kid in the late 60's. As to the nature of the area, that lot behind the ball park was always a little sketchy, but we played there all the time as kids. The homeless of the time were mostly just drunken men, who couldn't go home yet. We just called them bums, and they would sleep it off in the grass there. We would harass them in the morning, waking them up until they chased us. One got ahold of me once, but I slipped out of my jacket. My first charity gift to the homeless. I know. We sucked, but it was a more real time, with less bullshit.
Due to vandalism and wood rot all of the wood was replaced in october of 2023
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