Hendricks County Bridge Number 316

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

From the record

“Hendricks County Bridge Number 316, also known as Friendship Gardens Bridge, is a historic Pinned Warren Truss bridge located at Plainfield, Indiana. It was built in 1886, by the Morse Bridge Company of Youngstown, Ohio.”
Wikipedia article Hendricks County Bridge Number 316, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 22 National Register listings published here for Hendricks County · listed in 2003 · category: Structure.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 structure as contributing to the listing.
Address. Center Rd., Friendship Gardens over White Lick Creek, Plainfield, 46168
When was it listed? March 2003
Category. structure
Township. Guilford township
National Register reference number. 03000140 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

The ground it stands on

10,518 words

The chapter on Guilford Township in History of Hendricks County, Indiana, Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History, Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, published 1885 names Plainfield. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

Guilford was the first settled township in the county, and its occupancy dates back to 1820. In that year Samuel Herriman James Dunn, Bat Ramsey, Harris Bay, John W. Bryant, and George Moore settled on White Lick, south of Plainfield, near the Morgan County line. Some of these settlers raised some corn and ' potatoes in 1S20. I'l the spring of 1821 Xoah Kellum, Thomas ' = - - - (607)

Passage source: History of Hendricks County, Indiana, Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History, Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, published 1885.

The town has no charter now, the same having been surrendered many years ago. It was found that the township government was best, >n the ground of both efficiency and economy. Plainfield has t 3ver retrograded, for while its business is purely local, it has always been healthy and steady, and the population and wealth of the place have steadily increased. There are now nearly 1,000 inhabitants. The business firms of 1885 are enumerated in the following list:

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Guilford Township - 10,518 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Fires near this property

6 since 2003

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 6 fires within 5 miles of Hendricks County Bridge Number 316 between 2003 and 2007, burning about 2 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Smoking	2
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2
Equipment and vehicle use	1
Arson/incendiarism	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
21 May 2007	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
7 April 2007	Arson/incendiarism	under an acre	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
15 April 2003	Smoking	1.0 acres	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
12 April 2006	Smoking	under an acre	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
11 March 2007	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
7 October 2005	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named

Every fire recorded in Hendricks County

Mines and quarries near this property

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Hendricks County Bridge Number 316: 2 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Indiana Tile Clay and Shale Pit	Clay	Past Producer
Happy Valley Gravel Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
U. S. Aggregates, Inc.	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer

Every working recorded in Hendricks County

Storms near this property

60 of 75 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Plainfield, the town this property stands in, in 75 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 38 hail, 27 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 3 flood. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
May 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	2 hurt, $5,000	no account filed
June 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$150,000	Numerous trees and powerlines downed by thunderstorm wind gusts in Plainfield and across the county. Over 3000 power outages caused by the storm.
June 2002	Lightning	Plainfield	$80,000	Lightning struck a bank.
April 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$50,000	High winds downed numerous trees, destroyed a two car garage and flying debris damaged the adjacent home.
May 2002	Flash Flood	Plainfield	$25,000	no account filed
June 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$10,000	Thunderstorm wind gusts downed multiple trees and tree limbs on Stafford Rd.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$10,000	Heavy roof damage was reported in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
August 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$5,000	A tree and power lines were blown down from thunderstorm winds at County Road 200 South and Dan Jones Road.
July 2015	Flash Flood	Plainfield	$5,000	Several houses surrounded by water on County Road 350 due to heavy thunderstorm rainfall.
August 2012	Hail	Plainfield	$5,000	Quarter sized hail damaged shingles and shredded leaves.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$5,000	A home in the West Bay subdivision sustained partial roof damage due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
August 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$3,000	Tree limbs and a few small trees were snapped by thunderstorm wind gusts.
October 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$3,000	A support post was reportedly blown out on a front porch due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
July 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$2,000	A tree branch with diameter of 4 inches was snapped at the trunk by thunderstorm wind gusts. A tree was also blown down nearby.
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$2,000	Trees and utility lines were blown down by thunderstorm winds.
June 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$1,300	Three foot diameter tree blown onto apartment roof.
June 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$1,000	Thunderstorm wind gusts downed an eight-inch diameter live tree near Carr Road and US 40.
August 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$1,000	Thunderstorm winds blew down a 14 to 16 inch diameter tree across the road near or at the intersection of County Road 625 East and County Road 300 South.
August 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$1,000	A large tree limb approximately 8 to 10 inches in diameter was blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts.
June 2019	Flood	Plainfield	$1,000	There was extensive flooding at Saratoga Parkway and Fairfield Road due to heavy rainfall.
July 2017	Flash Flood	Plainfield	$1,000	State Road 267 was closed three miles north of Interstate 70 due to flooding from thunderstorm heavy rainfall.
July 2015	Flash Flood	Plainfield	$1,000	Heavy thunderstorm rainfall over the past 4 hours has created flash flooding resulting in swiftly moving water. Rain is continuing to fall.
July 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$1,000	A tree was reported down near the intersection of Dan Jones Road and County Road 200 South due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. This report was received via Twitter.
May 1997	Lightning	Plainfield	$1,000	no account filed
July 2014	Flood	Plainfield	$500	Water was reported to be crossing the roadway in a lower lying area of Dan Jones Road, south of County Road 200 South, due to heavy thunderstorm rainfall.
January 2013	Flood	Plainfield	$500	White Lick Creek, south of Brownsburg, is flooded due to heavy thunderstorm rainfall. Many other local roads are closed and County Road 267 is closed south of Plainfield.
August 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$250	A 4-inch diameter, live tree limb was broken off due to strong thunderstorm wind gusts.
July 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	$100	A thunderstorm wind gust, estimated at between 55 and 65 mph, blew a stop sign down in this location.
June 2023	Hail	Plainfield	-	Thunderstorm hail continued into southeastern Hendricks County, with hail as large as 1.25 inches in the Plainfield area.
March 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	Quarter-sized hail was observed near Dan Jones Road and County Road 200 South.
August 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	Many small limbs were reported down as well, with rainfall measuring 1.01 inches in 30 minutes.
August 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	A thunderstorm wind gust of 50 mph was observed in this location as well.
August 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	The hail lasted nearly 10 minutes.
August 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	Quarter size hail was observed at the Homewood Suites.
August 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	-	A measured 77 mph thunderstorm wind gust was observed at Highway 40 and Center Street.
April 2010	Hail	Plainfield	-	Pea to nickel sized hail was observed by the public in this location.
June 2010	Flash Flood	Plainfield	-	Plainfield Police evacuated 25 people on a voluntary basis from the Crystal Bay neighborhood due to flooding. Several roads in the nearby area were flooded and closed to traffic: Sugar Grove (700 E), Township Line Road between Dan Jones and Smith Road, 300 South between Vestal and Center Street, South Center Street between Hadley Road and I-70, 2600 East Main Street, and Vestal/800 East. Time of event is estimated.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	-	A three foot diameter tree was blown down near Center Street and Stanley Road.
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	-	These thunderstorm winds were encountered in Plainfield and on Six Points Road.
June 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	-	Trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
July 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	-	Trees were downed.
July 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	-	A truck driver measured a 71 mph wind gust on Interstate 70.
May 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Plainfield	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous trees and carried a trampoline nearly a quarter mile in the air.
June 1995	Hail	Plainfield	-	Tractor-semitrailers and mobile homes were damaged.
June 1995	Hail	Plainfield	-	Tractor-semitrailers and mobile homes were damaged.
April 2018	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
April 2015	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
April 2015	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
July 2015	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
May 2014	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
May 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
May 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
March 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
March 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
March 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
March 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
March 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
August 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
August 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed
August 2012	Hail	Plainfield	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Hendricks County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
THI and E Interurban Depot-Substation	0.3 miles	2002
Plainfield Historic District	0.7 miles	2010
Sugar Grove Meetinghouse and Cemetery	1.5 miles	2000
Smith Farm	3.0 miles	2007
A.A. Parsons Farmstead	3.1 miles	2014
Kellum-Jessup-Chandler Farm	3.8 miles	1994

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 03000140 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Hendricks County	All 22 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.