{"id":7620,"date":"2026-11-03T00:36:55","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T00:36:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/7thstreetbridge.org\/?p=7620"},"modified":"2026-11-03T00:36:56","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T00:36:56","slug":"share-your-favorite-7th-street-bridge-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/7thstreetbridge.org\/es\/share-your-favorite-7th-street-bridge-memories\/","title":{"rendered":"Share Your Favorite 7th Street Bridge Memories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SHARE YOUR STORY<\/p>\n\n\n\n

109 Years of Crossings, Told by the People Who Made Them<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Posted [CONFIRM: DATE]<\/mark>  \u00b7  7th Street Bridge Project Team  \u00b7  3 min read<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Vintage<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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For 109 years, the 7th Street Bridge was more than a way across the Tuolumne River. It was the bridge with the lions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generations of Modesto and Ceres families crossed it on the way to school, to work, to church and to the river. Kids pointed out the lions from the back seat. Some people learned to drive on it, and others walked it every day. Since the bridge carried its last traffic in March 2026, we\u2019ve heard from many of you that it holds a special place in your memories. Now we\u2019d like to hear those stories, and share them with the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Landmark Since 1917<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The bridge opened in March 1917, replacing an older wagon and trestle crossing that could no longer keep up with the arrival of the automobile. It was the first major project of the county\u2019s Good Roads bond, and for its first 16 years it carried Highway 99, the main state highway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Blue-tinted<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Opening day was a celebration. Cars paraded from Modesto and from Ceres and met at the new bridge. In a nod to the county\u2019s dairy roots and the Temperance movement of the time, plans called for christening the bridge with a bottle of milk instead of champagne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bridge was designed by County Chief Engineer Edgar H. Annear with engineers John B. Leonard and William P. Day and architect Lafayette \u201cFay\u201d Spangler. It used a rare technique called \u201ccanticrete,\u201d with steel trusses encased in concrete, to save steel during the price spikes of World War I. Its Beaux Arts details included lanterns, benches, balustrades and, of course, four cast stone lions, sculpted by San Francisco artist Orestes S. Sarsi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Two<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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The lions gave the bridge its nickname, the \u201cLion Bridge,\u201d and they became a symbol of the neighborhood. In 1992, the City of Modesto named the bridge City Landmark #14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to go deeper? Our Bridge History page<\/a> tells the full story, from the first ferry crossings to the engineering behind the canticrete design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now It\u2019s Your Turn<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Every one of those 109 years was made of everyday moments, and those are the stories we want to collect. Big or small, funny or bittersweet, every memory is welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not sure where to start? Here are a few ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n