Jack Walsh spent his career helping keep historic bridges in use

Another page was added to the history of a small, single-lane bridge spanning the Little Prickly Pear Creek near Silver City. The bridge, a Single-Span Pratt through Truss, built in 1905, was dedicated to the late Jack Walsh, a structural engineer, who spent his career repairing and upgrading historic bridges to keep them in everyday use.

In a ceremony recognizing Walsh's work, the Montana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Lewis and Clark County Commission gathered to recognize Walsh's enthusiasm and passion for historic bridges and his work to preserve them.

Walsh graduated from Montana State University in Bozeman in 1958, and went to work for the Montana Highway Department. After 37 years he retired from the state, but his passion for structural engineering wouldn't let him stop doing what he enjoyed. For another 10 years he worked as an engineering consultant for counties, including Lewis and Clark County.

To Walsh, bridges were a part of life. His wife Catherine said she remembers family vacations planned around the opportunity to visit bridges. Over the years, the Walsh family visited dozens of bridges across the nation.

"We'd make all kinds of detours to see one bridge or another," she said.

Walsh passed on his passion for civil engineering to two of his four children. Daughter Patricia Burke of Helena, works as a civil engineer as well as his son Brian Walsh, of Olympia, Wash. Walsh's two other daughters, Caryn and Barbara Walsh, both live in Denver.

The bridge dedicated to Walsh is located along the historic Benton Road, and the old Mullen Trail.

Reporter Laura Tode can be reached at 447-4081 or by

e-mail at laura.tode@helenair.com.