Hundreds of Marsh Arch bridges were constructed in the 1910s-1930s, where James B. Marsh's patented design used rainbow arches that would expand and contract along with the bridge floor under varying conditions of moisture and temperature. Only a handful remain and two are located in Osawatomie. Both are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Creamery Bridge, which spans the Marais des Cygnes River at 8th Street, was built in 1930 and has a rainbow span reaching 140 feet into the air at its highest point. Below the bridge, along the banks of the river, spoonbill fishermen gather to snag this prehistoric species of fish. Snaggin' Day's are from mid-March to mid-May. The Osawatomie Dam, on the Marais Des Cygnes, is one of only three places in Kansas to snag for spoonbill in season.
Tourism
Recognized nationally as one of the towns that sparked the Civil War, Osawatomie boasts seven sites on the National Register of Historic Places:
