Luten Bridge Company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Luten Bridge Company was a bridge building company based in Knoxville, Tennessee in the early- to mid-20th century. Luten Bridge Company built many bridges in the early part of the 20th century. Many of their bridges are now registered historical sites, such as the Illinois River Arch Bridge of Benton County, Arkansas, built in 1922, and the Robinson Road Bridge of Washington County, Arkansas, built in 1926.
[edit] Rockingham County v. Luten Bridge Co
In 1924 Rockingham County North Carolina contracted the Luten Bridge Company to build a bridge over the Dan River to create a connection between Reidsville, NC and Spray, NC. The company proceeded to begin construction when the county commission rescinded the contract. Luten Bridge, however, did not stop work on the bridge. Once the bridge was completed, the Company filed suit for the fully-agreed-upon price of the bridge. Judge John J. Parker of the Fourth Circuit Court ruled in 1929 that the County was liable only for $1,900 of the $18,000 Luten claimed it owed -- the amount due when the contract was rescinded. It is considered to be Judge Parker's most famous decision. The case is often quoted in law school texts as an illustration of "duty to mitigate".
[edit] References
- A Bridge, a Tax Revolt, and the Struggle to Industrialize: The Story and Legacy of Rockingham County v. Luten Bridge Co.; Richman, Weinstock, Mehta.
- Filling the gaps in Luten Bridge; Duke Law Magazine; Richman, Weinstock; 2006
