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| Bridge Beauty |
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| Covered bridges transport visitors to simpler days | ||||||||||||||
| Published: Sep/Oct 2002 |
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| Closed to all but pedestrian traffic, the area’s remaining covered bridges no longer transport today’s hurried travelers on journeys through the region but on leisurely trips through time. While thousands of covered bridges once spanned the nation’s rivers and creeks, the list of those remaining in the Midwest could probably fit on one page. Fire, flood and modernization have taken their toll of these great examples of fine craftsmanship that once dotted the landscape. The structures, which were generally made of timber and sometimes iron rods or other metal elements, were built with a roof and walls to protect the floor timbers from rain and snow, which could greatly shorten the life of the bridge by bringing about wood rot. But the covering often protected travelers from the elements, as well. The covered bridges that have survived remain unique and picturesque relics of the days when America was young. They serve as romantic links to an era when journeys were traveled at a slower pace. On a day tour of the region, stop off at some of these landmarks that help remind travelers how transportation has evolved. Some offer picnic sites where you can enjoy the view, and others provide interpretation of the history of covered bridges. But they all will take you back to a time when it seemed everything, especially travel, was simpler. Spanning Missouri’s history As communities became more thickly settled and people demanded roads with bridges across creeks and rivers, covered bridges were erected. In Missouri, an estimated 30 bridges once spanned a variety of rivers and creeks, but today only a handful survives. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has maintained and preserved four of them as State Historic Sites. The oldest of them is the Burfordville Covered Bridge, which is part of the Bollinger Mill State Historic Site. Construction started in 1858 on the bridge, which spans the Whitewater River and is 140 feet long. Located in southeast Missouri near Cape Girardeau, the bridge served as a vital link to farmers driving wagonloads of grain destined for the mill. In addition to examining the bridge, visitors can enter the four-story stone and brick Bollinger Mill to learn how corn was milled more than a century ago. Historic equipment is displayed, and demonstrations are occasionally offered on how the mill worked. For more details, call (573) 243-4591. Located not far from St. Louis, the Sandy Creek Bridge boasts the picture-perfect appearance of an old red barn. It was one of six bridges built in 1872 to allow passage from the Jefferson County seat of Hillsboro to St. Louis. The 74-foot-long bridge was destroyed by flood in 1886 and rebuilt, and then more flood damage demanded a thorough restoration in the mid-1980s. Today, the historic site includes 205 acres adjoining the bridge, which features a picnic area. An outdoor interpretive display offers information about the history of the structure. For details, call (636) 464-2976. The longest of the four remaining bridges can be found in north-central Missouri. The Locust Creek Bridge, built in 1868 at 151 feet in length, was once part of the nation’s first transcontinental road, Route 8, which was laid out before World War I. But in 1930, U.S. Highway 36 replaced Route 8, and the bridge became a piece of history. Even the creek passed the bridge by when its channel was straightened, leaving the bridge spanning a dry creek bed. Over the years, floodwaters deposited topsoil, eventually causing the bridge to rest on the ground. The bridge began undergoing a long-awaited restoration this year to replace rotting wood and add two approach ramps. Public approach will be limited to about 100 feet of the bridge until work is completed late this fall. For details, call (660) 963-2525. When two uncovered bridges failed in the mid-to-late 1800s across the Elk Fork of the Salt River, the Monroe County Court ordered a covered bridge to be built. Located in northeast Missouri near Paris, the Union Covered Bridge was built in 1871 and stretched 120 feet. With an entrance that was 12 feet high, the bridge could accommodate a farmer’s wagonload of hay. The structure, which was named after the nearby Union Church, nearly succumbed to neglect in the late 1960s, but it was restored in part using materials from the Mexico Covered Bridge, which had been destroyed by floods. It was used until about 1970, when it was closed to all but pedestrian traffic after overweight trucks damaged its structural timbers. It served travelers in the region for almost 100 years, and it remains a significant part of the area’s history. For details, call (573) 565-3449. Bevy of bridges Indiana’s map is a virtual spider web of rivers and streams, crisscrossing the state in every corner. So it’s no surprise that between 400 and 500 covered bridges were constructed in Indiana starting in the mid-1830s, and a surprising number have been spared the wrecking ball and saved from neglect and the elements. In all, more than 90 covered timber bridges remain throughout the state. In south-central Indiana, for example, 23 covered bridges have been preserved as a testament to the many skilled Hoosier craftsmen who created these simple masterpieces that have stood the test of time. To help visitors find them, the South-Central Indiana Marketing Co-Operative, in conjunction with the state, has produced a self-guiding tour map. For a free copy, call 1-800-210-2832. Among the relics are several unique bridges. The Medora Covered Bridge just southwest of Seymour in Jackson County is the longest three-span covered bridge in the country at 458 feet in length. Near Brookville, the Metamora Aqueduct Bridge, which is part of the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site, is thought to be the only aqueduct covered bridge in the world. And the Ramp Bridge near Columbus is the only double tunnel covered bridge in Indiana and one of only four in the United States. Eight of the bridges, located in Fayette and Rush counties, were built by the A.M. Kennedy family, which began their bridge-building tradition when patriarch Archibald Kennedy constructed a two-span covered bridge in 1870. He was later joined by his sons, Emmett and Charles, and they became noted builders of bridges in southeast Indiana. The Kennedy family built at least 58 covered bridges admired for their decorative scrollwork. Further south straddling the line between Spencer and Perry counties is the Huffman Bridge. Located at Huffman Mill, where Abraham Lincoln and his father, Thomas, used to take grain to be ground, the rustic covered bridge is nestled in the scenic southern Indiana forestland, where it crosses the Anderson River. Built during the Civil War, the bridge is on the state register of historical sites and is still open to vehicular traffic. For details, call Spencer County Visitors Bureau at 1-888-444-9252. After the Civil War when the Iron Age came to the United States, it basically signaled an end to most new covered bridge construction. Yet even though the technology behind covered bridges is obsolete and rudimentary compared to today’s massive steel-and-concrete bridges, their charm and craftsmanship still hold a strong fascination for today’s travelers. |
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