On this day in 1952 Merle Umstead was the first person to walk over a new bridge near Linville, North Carolina.
Merle was the daughter of William B. Umstead, who was running for the governorship of North Carolina that year (he won that race, by the way) and that bridge little Merle walked over was the now famous Mile High Bridge at Grandfather mountain, which was dedicated on September 2nd and opened to the public.
The bridge was designed by architect Charles Hartmann, Jr., from Greensboro and was intended to provide a way for visitors to Grandfather Mountain to access Linville Peak and it’s breathtaking views.
Originally made of wood, the bridge was rebuilt in 1999 out of galvanized steel.
