Page "Bridge" Paragraph 22

The first bridges were made by nature itself — as simple as a log fallen across a stream or stones in the river.

The first bridges made by humans were probably spans of cut wooden logs or planks and eventually stones, using a simple support and crossbeam arrangement.

Some early Americans used trees or bamboo poles to cross small caverns or wells to get from one place to another.

A common form of lashing sticks, logs, and deciduous branches together involved the use of long reeds or other harvested fibers woven together to form a connective rope capable of binding and holding together the materials used in early bridges.