Silver Bridge Tragedy Memorial

 The Silver Bridge was one of the greatest additions to the region, joining Gallipolis Ohio, actually Kanauga, Ohio , and Point Pleasant West Virginia. Construction began in 1927 and was and was completed in 1928, with the actual opening of the Silver Bridge on May 30th, 1928. The celebration that day was one of the biggest ever to take place in the region. No one, at that point, would have been able to predict the tragedy that would occur 39 years later, on December 15th, 1967, when a corroded eye bar on this suspension bridge broke and the bridge collapsed into the Ohio River.

It was during the rush hour, when the bridge was full of cars and trucks. 31 vehicles and 64 people were dropped into the River's frigid water, making rescues extremely difficult and actually impossible for 46 victims of this almost indescribable disaster.

Gallipolis and Point Pleasant will be hosting memorials in observance of the 50th anniversary of the collapse. Point Pleasant's observance is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and a second event at the site of the disaster at 5:00 p.m. The Gallia County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Gallia County Chamber of Commerce and Bossard Memorial Library will be hosting a memorial for the 50th Anniversary of the Silver Bridge Collapse on December 15th, 2017 at Bossard beginning at 5:30 p.m. As a part of the memorial program the group would like to request written accounts of that day to be submitted to the GCCVB to be displayed at the Memorial. These may be sent to the GCCVB at 441 Second Avenue, Gallipolis, OH 45631 or info@visitgallia.com.