The small community of Joppa was established for a church and school in the 1880s, and as Burnet County's population grew and business increased from the railroad, the county decided to construct several bridges over waterways in nearby communities. On January 17, 1906, voters approved a bond to fund three truss bridges, including one near the Joppa school and church, the only one of the group still standing. Built in 1907, the Joppa iron truss bridge is 136.2 feet long and has diagonals constructed in the Pratt truss design first developed in 1844 by Thomas and Caleb Pratt. The bridge played an important role in everyday life for families in the Joppa community by simplifying travel to neighboring towns for business, improving access to education as roads and transportation advanced, and providing a place for entertainment and relaxation on the river and under the bridge during the Great Depression and World War II. As an early 20th-century Burnet County iron truss bridge, it expanded economic progress in rural communities, introduced higher education to many young people, and broadened opportunities for the surrounding area.