Two Cent Bridge

After we met with the authors at the Children's Book Cellar, Callum and Maira wanted to show Ms Emily all the joy of the Two Cent Bridge (or...as Callum calls it...the JAMES BRIDGE....after Thomas the Train). Emily had never been down by the bridge and I think she enjoyed it. It is a pretty neat bridge with a pretty neat story:

It is a footbridge on the Register of National Historic Places, and it connects Waterville to Winslow via the Kennebec River. The Waterville side (Front St) used to be home to hundreds and hundreds of mill workers (immigrants from Quebec and Lebanon mostly) who, each day, would go to work at the woolen mills...and then paper mills of Winslow. On the Winslow side, you can see the remnants of Scott Paper Company, which used to have a huge paper mill in town. It shut down in the 90s, but the building is still used for other stuff. They used to charge a 2cent toll in order to cross this bridge (otherwise you would have to walk across the auto bridge...would would probably add on an extra half mile or so to your trip) and thus the bridge was named!

The bridge is pretty special because, during XC season, on certain days, we run across it on our way to Colby College to access some of their great hills and trails. I love running across it and looking at the mighty Kennebec. Up the hill from the actual bridge is my school--about 300 yards away, in fact....

On the Waterville side....looking across towards Winslow and the mill....there is a nice little park around the bridge...downtown Watervill is pretty nice....we walked from the bookstore by the opera house and then across just one street to get to the 2cent...

Callum challenged Emily to a race across the bridge....Callum fell....hilarious....

.....but then he got up and kept going!

Striking a pose on the old railroad tracks that used to bring supplies to the mill......now we are on the Winslow side looking across at Front Street in Waterville. Dad, can you make out Joseph's meat market?? That is where it is!