Mark Twain Memorial Bridge Was a Vital Part of Hannibal’s History

It was the span across the Mississippi River that I and many others grew up with. The Mark Twain Memorial Bridge is no more, but there are many pictures that remain documenting this vital part of Hannibal, Missouri history.

As a kid, the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge was the one landmark I saw frequently whenever my family wanted to go shopping in Quincy from our home in Hannibal, Missouri. It's now been long gone for nearly 24 years, but thanks to the Library of Congress, you can hop in a time machine and remember that bridge as it was.

This video captured some of the last days of traffic going over the old Mark Twain Memorial Bridge.

And, this one captured the demolition of this old Missouri span.

I remember looking out the window of my parent's car and seeing holes down to the river where the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge was coming apart. I'll admit it was a little terrifying as a kid, but that bridge will always remain as a vivid memory of what used to be the connection between Missouri and Illinois for my childhood in the 1970's and 1980's.