Construction of New Ball's Ferry Bridge Near Toomsboro

The photographs at the end of this message were sent to me, along with the E-mail note below, by Sue Spivey Lord (photo at left). Sue is the youngest daughter of the late D. J. and Louise Veal Spivey of Toomsboro. Sue graduated from Wilkinson County High School and lives with her husband, Shang Lord in Dublin.

"I thought you might enjoy these pictures of the building of the new Ball's Ferry Bridge. They were taken in late January and early February. I hope you are doing well. Love, Sue"

The new bridge will replace the original bridge that was built in the 1930's; that bridge replaced a ferry that transported people and cars across the Oconee River - which is the boundary between Wilkinson and Washington counties. The bridge is on State Highway 57, which runs northwest to Toomsboro where it crosses Georgia 112 and continues on to Irwinton and Macon. I was with my family at the dedication of the original Ball's Ferry Bridge, probably around 1939. I, with a cousin, was on the old bridge within the last year, and I can see from these photos that much has been accomplished since then.

Ball's ferry was the site of a Civil War Battle fought in late 1864 between units of Sherman's army and Georgia's Confederate soldiers.

This interesting article, Logging Nightmare in Wilkinson County, describes how logging practices in an area only five minutes from Ball's Ferry is damaging the natural habitat of some of the area's wild life.

Click on any photo to see an enlargement