Prior to 1913, floodwaters from the nearby Mississippi, Atchafalaya, and Red Rivers frequently forced the evacuation of people, livestock, and property in the Big Bend area. In 1915, the Avoyelles Parish Police Jury authorized the construction of an elevated permanent bridge over Bayou des Glaises at Sarto Lane. The steel truss swing bridge was completed in 1916 for vehicular and boat traffic. It is a rare surviving example of its type and was the first bridge in Louisiana listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
