No date was given in his book. Kenneth Phelps, born 1908, recalls working on Route 146 in 1926. The Members of the C C C located in Dixon Springs in the early 1930’s worked on this road, too.

     One of the big outstanding engineering feats, if not the greatest of all is the spandrel arch bridge which crosses the rugged, primitive valley and connects the hills near Dixon Springs. The huge, massive structure of concrete with steel reinforcement, when completed will be 339 feet, 8 inches in length from pier to pier and at the center will be 60 feet from the ground. It is to be the crowning arch in bridge construction in Southern Illinois, and being located at the famous summer resort at Dixon Springs, will be viewed by tourists from all over the United States, for when the road is completed, Dixon Springs will have as its guests, tourists from all over the country.

     Coming from the west over the steep hill, piers for the west section of the bridge will rest on the rocky cliffs and arch one will be 46 feet, 10 inches in length. From arch one to arch three which is the same size and dimension as number one, will extend the central span of 180 feet across Hill Branch, which drains the famous waters from the many springs in which Dixon abounds. Piers will be anchored on solid rock foundations at each end of the spans, and the arches will be double deck with small, short piers extending from the curved archway supporting the level roadway which will be 22 feet in width. No steel will be used, except in the concrete for reinforcement.

     In spans one and three, four pairs of piers will rest on the archway and for the long, majestic span 14 pairs will support the roadway, which will be concreted the same as the paved road.

     Ferguson Construction Company of Rockford, Illinois, has the contract and has been on the job almost a month. The same company erected a similar bridge in Northern Illinois last year, but much smaller than the one at Dixon Springs. There are only two others in the state of this type, both much smaller than the one now under construction. W. E. Wilson, of Jefferson, Iowa, is superintendent of construction and now has 30 men on the job, preparing forms, delivering material and making ready for the gigantic undertaking. Already the foundation blocks on which piers will rest have been poured on top of solid rock.

     The contract job amounts to nearly $40, 000 not counting the concrete and steel, which is furnished by the state. It will require 156,140 lbs. Of steel re-inforcing; 1121 cubic yards of concrete; 681 cubic yards of paving and 4600 cubic yards of excavating. The state will have to furnish more than 12 car loads of cement to finish the job, all of which must be unloaded and hauled from the Renshaw station. The above figures will give some idea of the size and labor involved to build the giant of spandrel arches in the state. The sides will have panel effect, durable, pleasing to the eye, but economical in material.

     It is located just south of the park store one hundred fifty feet. Motorists in passing over the roadway can look down on the camp and springs of the resort, and further east will be a road leading north to the resort hotel.

     Dixon Springs has long been a favorite meeting and camping place. Long before it was settled by white men, this spot was a famous camping place of the Algonquin Indians on their annual trips to Southern Illinois during the winter. The Indians called the mineral springs which bubbled out in a dozen places in the primitive state "kitche mus ke neebe" meaning ‘medicine water’ and they thought to drink of the curative waters, would drive away all sickness from their clan and bring health and victory to their cause. In traveling northward in the spring, they always carried away with them a supply of use for medicinal purposes during the summer.

     The place takes its name from William Dixon, the first white settler to inherit this region. He hewed out with his own hands, the logs for his cabin from the primeval forests which was erected in 1846 and still stands. Indian legends and traditions have been handed down by ancestors which are told in a pleasing manner by residents of that community. The hotel and camp is located on the summit of a range of Ozarks at an altitude of 1000 feet and except for the improvements of the springs, swimming pool and camp for the convenience of the public, is surrounded on every side by forest covered regions of hardwood timber.

Note: About 70 years later, Kenneth and his wife, Lucille Faulkner Phelps are still driving across this bridge on IL RT 146. Tourists from all over the United States continue to cross this bridge and stop to visit Dixon Springs State Park. There is a hiking trail south of the swimming pool that leads hikers under the giant, spandrel arches and beside the scenic, rocky creek bed.