The Footbridge is located on East 2nd between Robinson and Dolan. Before the bridge was built, there was a large “foot-log” over Bull Branch Creek, and African American students on the east side of town who attended O.L. Price had to cross the log to get to school. According to the Texas State Historical Association, students would fall off the log into the sewage-filled water during high water and have to be rescued. The only other option was to walk along the rail trestle, which was also dangerous. With the help of iconic Taylor physician Dr. James Lee Dickey, the bridge was built for students to use. The footbridge was built around 1940. Kids that lived on the south side, Projects, and west of the creek neighborhoods would walk across this bridge on the way to and from school.
One of the things the bridge was known for was that if you got into it with someone at school, you would tell them to meet you at the bridge after school. Back then, you did not fight at school because the consequences would be worse than the fight—a whipping at school and one when you got home. You knew what was happening if you saw many people running toward the bridge after school. I remember this from the 60s, but when I had a relative who went to school there in the 40s, she asked me about the bridge, and I took her down there to show her it was still there. She told me the same story about after school.
Kids in the neighborhood used to like to go down to the creek to fish and play on the bridge and in the water, even though our parents told us not to. A little way down from the bridge lived two brothers, Mr. Bibs and Mr. Bibs, who lived right across from each other. I remember when they would hear us down there, they would call our parents or come down with a belt in their hands, knowing we were not to be down there, and we would take off running. That sense of the neighborhood looking out for everyone makes me smile because now I realize how special that was.