The Mahned Bridge was constructed in 1903 and spans the Leaf River in

Perry County Perry County may refer to: United States *Perry County, Alabama *Perry County, Arkansas *Perry County, Illinois *Perry County, Indiana *Perry County, Kentucky *Perry County, Mississippi *Perry County, Missouri *Perry County, Ohio *Perry Coun ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. Around 1980, the bridge was removed from service and access was terminated. Retrieved 2014-11-09 The bridge was declared a

Mississippi Landmark The following is a list of Mississippi Landmarks officially nominated by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and approved by each county's chancery clerk. The Mississippi Landmark designation is the highest form of recognition bestow ...

in 1996 and was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1997.

History

The Mahned Bridge was constructed by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company as a prefabricated, one lane, iron truss structure. Completed in 1903, the bridge was one of the first to span the Leaf River in south Mississippi. The bridge derives its name from the nearby rural community of Mahned.

Description

Two iron trusses,

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and

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, comprise the main structure and are positioned on metal caissons filled with concrete. Overall length of the two truss spans is . The deck was composed of wooden planking wide, but the deck was removed after the bridge was closed.

Notoriety

The remote location of Mahned Bridge, several miles from the small town of

New Augusta New Augusta is a town in Perry County, Mississippi. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 644 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Perry County. New Augusta is located about two miles ...

, made it a favorite gathering spot among college and high school students for star gazing and other activities. In September 1993, the vehicle of Angela Freeman, age 17, was found abandoned at Mahned Bridge. Freeman was missing, and the investigation into her disappearance was never solved. In May 1995, the north end of Mahned Bridge was determined to be the scene of the abduction and murder of William Hatcher, age 27, and Robbie Bond, age 21. The suspect in the Hatcher and Bond murders was subsequently convicted.Kenneth Moody Loses Appeal in the State Supreme Court
Retrieved 2014-11-09

References

{{Registered Historic Places Bridges completed in 1903 Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Mississippi Mississippi Landmarks National Register of Historic Places in Perry County, Mississippi Iron bridges in the United States Pratt truss bridges in the United States