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The Wabasso Bridge To Disney By. Rath Slanbridge, Countyllistorian Snice Disney's Vero Beach Resort opened in 1.995 it has brought guests from around the world who cross over the Wabasso bridge for their first glimpse at the ocean. 'Few know the historical link that Disney has to Wa- basso that dates back to the years just. before DisneyWorld was completed. The connection goes all .the way back to the 1880's. In those days a boating trip down the Iridian River Lagoon was a dangerous and challeng- ing adventure. Townis and people were few and far between. One of the landmarks along the Indian River seen on the 1887 Coastal map was an Ais Indian t» idden call Two Dollar Bluff. The Bluff stood tall along the western shoreline and remnants still exist at the approach to the Wabasso Bridge. The bridge really began as a dock built to provide the families of Cap- tain Prank Forster and Stephen Michael a place to tie up the boats when they crossed the Indian River Narrows to the mainland. in the late 1880's, very few people lived in the area of Orchid or along the Orchid -Narrow Road (now the south end of jungle nail). When the Florida lust Coast Railway carne in the -early 1890s the Wa- basso Dock became the only means for delivery of citrus, pineapples, and winter vegetables from Orchid Island, to the railroad and to market. land sales on Orchid Island were not only promoted by Captain Forster from his 'homestead at Orchid, but lie had an agreement with Henry Hagler to furnish citrus and other fresh vegetables to the Plaglerhotels by way of this "new" rail line. By 1925 and through the "roaring 20's" the development on Orchid Is- land across from 1Nabasso grew until it was obvious a bridge was needed. In 1928, a narrow wooden bridge was in place. The river channel located on die Orchid side of the River needed a "swing" bridge and a bridgetender. This "swing" opened for the boats plying the .Intracoastal Waterway. The 24 Aiv%v.insidcnackA tiiwiic,cotu hridgetender's house sat in the middle of the River on the north side of this very narrow t- wo-lane bridge. A tur.nwheel was used to open the met- al swung bridge and was located on the span between the .liouse and the shoreline of Orchid Island. 1n the late 1960's, as plans were being made to build a "modern" cause- way and a new high-rise "arch" bridge over the river channel, a fire broke out and destroyed a large section of the old Wabasso bridge. For several months the only way to cross the river was via a "pontoon" bridge from the World War 11 era as the transportation corridor. The floating bridge was utilized the new'Wabasso Bridge (CR 510) was completed. It was about that time that Florida's Magic Kingdom was constructing a small railroad to encircle the thence park. They needed a drawbridge over a canal from the lagoon to the boatyard where the ferries were serviced. They heard about the Florida Department of Transportation replacing an old swing bridge in Wabasso and decided to check: it out. After careful in- spection, the Disney engineers decided they could salvage it. 11heybought it from the DOT and cut it up into smaller sections. The old bridge parts were then loaded on barges and towed to shipyard in Tampa. It was then painstakingly build to Disney's highstandards and put into use. Today mil- lions of passengers from around the world ride the Main Street .Railroad daily without a thought about the history that links Wabasso to Disney. Now as you cross over the high "a rch" of the Wabasso Bridge that spans the Intracoastal Waterway, yourvista includes Orchid Island, the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean and the Disney Vero Beach Resort. And as you take the railroad around the Magic Kingdom theme park you cross over the old Wabasso swing bridge. It seems that fate has forever connected the tNabas- so Bridge to Disney in the beautiful circle of life. 203 Volu ie 21 • Issuc 3 25