Every year on Independence Day, the bridge serves as a place where thousands of locals gather to watch fireworks.

The only way to cross the river was by ferry, and due to the location of Waco on the growing Chisholm Trail, local businessmen knew that a bridge was needed to support commerce.

[6] In October 1868, the engineer he hired, Thomas M. Griffith, began to supervise the construction using cables from the Roebling company of Trenton, New Jersey.

[7] Due to lack of machine shops in the Waco area, getting the materials to the building site was a journey in itself.

The twin double towers that anchored the span were considered to be a marvel of engineering at the time, containing nearly 3 million bricks, which were produced locally.

In 1913-1914, major reconstruction occurred on the bridge, replacing the older steel with higher gauge, and trusses were added to accommodate the span to carry heavier weights.

The bridge, by all accounts, helped to transform Waco from a small frontier town to a major commercial center.