Valley Oldies: Viaduct’s viability in Monessen spans more than a century
By RON PAGLIA
His name may not ring a bell with many people — except, of course, for his descendants — but Dr. William D. Hunter holds a unique place in Monessen history.
It was nearly 106 years ago — on Thursday, June 5, 1913 — that Dr. Hunter drove the first car across the new and long-awaited Third Street Bridge in the city. The towering structure that spans Third Street became more commonly known as the Reed Avenue Viaduct or just the Viaduct.
Dr. Hunter, the first practicing physician in Monessen, was a member of borough council at the time the Viaduct opened. Monessen did not obtain city status until Sept. 16, 1921.
According to a story on Page One of The Daily Independent of Monessen on June 5, 1913, the bridge was formally opened to traffic “at 2 o’clock this afternoon when the gates were thrown open at each end and four automobiles passed gracefully over.”
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