After the battle of Horse creek a thousand or more crossed near the state line. Near the east line of Scotts Bluff county travelers were once halted for three hours to allow the passage of a vast herd of buffalo which was moving across the river and to the north. Near Tom Fanning's ranch there is the old ford used so much by early settlers. Oelrich's ranch had a regular crossing and Gering and Minatare had regular fords before the day of bridges.

When Gering came into the county seat contest, Martin Gering offered to build a bridge in case his namesake was chosen. That bridge was built and was in service for many )ears. That was before the days of concrete state and

federal aid bridges. It was a narrow affair -- single track at first -- about four thousand feet long with two "turnouts" for teams to pass each other. The rails were flimsy and occasionally some driven animal or team would go into the river taking the rail with it.

Judge J. M. King s team took him through the railing into the water one time in about twenty years ago, and in the mixup two of his fingers were so nearly amputated, that the doctors finished the job. One time Sherwood Taylor was hauling a load of hay across this bridge, and the wind upset it into the river, with Taylor underneath. He was unable to extricate himself and was drowned. There were other tragedies and near tragedies in the crossing, more than once.