A bridge built in 1886 by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, was located immediately east of this site, over the original falls in the Wichita River. This structure, a Pratt through-truss design by the Kansas City Bridge Company, was added in 1911. Both were closed in 1972, and the 1886 bridge was demolished. A bronze commemorative statue group by artist Jack Stephens depicting the legend of the origin of the river’s name “Wichita” was installed on the north bank in 2003. An Indian woman is testing the water’s depth for a suitable crossing, while a girl and two mounted warriors look on. She finds the water to be “wee-chi-tah,” which translates as “waist deep.” (The coincidental tribal name, Ousitas/Guachita/Huichitas/Wicheta has other derivations.)
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Ohio Street Bridge
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