May 2024 • Nebraskaland 23
of America, a wooden walkway,
supported by 180 4x4 posts, was
installed in 1993. Safely suspending
visitors about 4 feet above the old
dirt trail, it was christened the Fred
Krzyzanowski Memorial Walkway.
Bridging Gaps
Another goal of Game and Parks
when assuming management of the
park was to make the falls accessible
to more people.
The same month Game and Parks
commissioners approved the lease
agreement for Smith Falls in 1992,
Knox County commissioners decided
a 165-foot high-truss steel bridge at
the north side of Verdigre had become
insuffi cient after seven decades of
use and would have to come down
for a replacement. What was deemed
by many in the Verdigre area to be a
sad event for the stately landmark
now seems more like destiny than
coincidence.
The bridge was retrieved from the
county's scrap heap and transported
to the fl edgling state park to be
reassembled and gain new life as
a footbridge. The 30-ton structure,
originally constructed in 1922, was
assembled by contractors and put
in place Oct. 1, 1996, with three
giant cranes and a bulldozer. Most
of the project's $340,000 cost was
paid for with federal grant money,
most notably the Transportation
Enhancement Program.
The bridge was amply sturdy
enough to get park visitors across
the river by foot, planners noted, and
would even complement the area's
aesthetics. During reassembly, it was
narrowed by 5 feet, making it even
stronger than its 5-ton capacity when
it spanned Verdigre Creek.
For the fi rst time, the public could
visit Smith Falls without fl oating,
wading or riding the rusty cable car
across the river. The Verdigre Bridge
Along the Niobrara National Scenic River, Smith Falls State Park's campground, Verdigre Bridge and walkway to the falls.
