This brief trip report from Lionel A. Whiston covers four covered bridges in Union County, Ohio.

My wife Debbie and I recently spent several days visiting our daughter Kristen at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, OH. While Kristen was in class Friday, March 30, 2001, Debbie and I visited four nearby covered bridges in Union County.

The first covered bridge we encountered was 35-80-04, the Little Darby Bridge. We took pictures of this and all the other covered bridges we came across. The Treacle Creek Bridge (35-80-03) was closed to traffic because of repair work. A detour had been set up a few yards north of the bridge, crossing the small stream by a paved ford. We talked briefly with the Union County crew working on the bridge. I asked how much of the bridge was being replaced and was told that only the roof was being replaced. They said that last year the crew had re-roofed the Little Darby Bridge and that the Spain Creek Bridge (35-80-02) was scheduled to be done next. The Upper Darby Bridge (35-80-01) appeared the most in need of work, at least paint and some new siding boards.

I'm not an engineer and can't make judgements about the soundness of each bridge. With that caveat, I think all four are structurally in good shape. I was pleased that Union County is looking after the bridges, investing money in their care. I had no trouble finding the bridges using my DeLorme atlas of Ohio, but I saw no signs of any kind indicating the way to the bridges. Most if not all are close to a highway and easily visible from that road.

The last issue of the Indiana CB Society's newsletter contained a trip report regarding some extensive bridge visiting in Ohio and Pennsylvania, concluding sadly that a lot of maintenance seemed in order in those two states. I'm not contradicting that view, but I am reporting that my tiny sample of four bridges in one county has a much more positive conclusion.

Upper Darby Bridge (35-80-01) Photo © 2001 Lionel A. Whiston	Treacle Creek Bridge (35-80-03) Photo © 2001 Lionel A. Whiston

Little Darby Bridge (35-80-04) Photo © 2001 Lionel A. Whiston

Covered Bridge Crafts in Brookline, NH (29-07-00) Photo © 2001 Dick Roy

This bridge (29-07-00), given to the town of Brookline, has been moved just off of Route 13 about 6 miles from Route 101 South. Go south on Route 13, about 6 miles to the blinking light and take a right turn. The bridge can be seen just as you turn the corner. The name of the road is believed to be Meeting House Hill Road. You may be able to see the bridge from Route 13.

Several speakers praised the 1836 Burr Arch Bridge and the efforts spearheaded by Caroline Brown to restore the structure to its original site on the Cambridge road spanning the Brown's River.

A steel bridge was built in 1965 when the covered bridge was no longer safe for vehicular traffic. Ten years later the Westford Historical Society decided to complete repair of the 137-year-old bridge. Twelve years after that in 1987, the bridge again needed significant repairs. The historical society regrouped to begin the process of repairs.

Milton S. Graton, using oxen and capstan, hauled the bridge to the edge of the field near the Westford Town garage. National Geographic documented the moving of the structure, where it would stay for 14 years. The Historic Society applied for grants, held ham and bean dinners, bake sales and sold T-shirts, etc. to raise funds for the bridge restoration. In the early days of the fund-raising about 45 people began the effort and ultimately, for the most part Caroline Brown remained.

ln 1991 through the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the grant writing skills of Kathleen Robie secured grants in 1995 and 1999. Proper permits were acquired and the project went out to bid.

With the advice of Philip C. Pierce, consulting Engineer and covered bridge specialist from Binghamton, N.Y., the Renaud Brothers from Vernon and Messier House Moving of East Montpelier, and with contributions from many bridge devotees, the Brown's River Bridge, having been restored by the Renaud Brothers, made the journey on July 20, 2001 back down the Cambridge Road to be mounted on the repaired abutments on July 21.

Phil Pierce presented Caroline with a plaque, in honor of her dedication and tireless efforts to the project, which read, "In grateful recognition of Caroline Brown...for her determination and tireless efforts from 1987 to 2001 in Rehabilitation of the Brown's River Covered Bridge...from her friends in the Covered Bridge Community."

Joseph Nelson presented Caroline with one of his books "Spanning Time - Vermont Covered Bridges."[and an Honorary Life membership in the Vermont Covered Bridge Society].

I received a thank you card from Caroline. It reads as follows, "I wish to thank the National Covered Bridge Society for the honor of receiving the bronze plaque, on behalf of my efforts of the Browns River Covered Bridge restoration project.

"It was a commitment the Westford Historical Society made some 14 long years ago and it's a real feeling of accomplishment to have the bridge restored for the bridge community and for the town. Thank you again for the recognition with the presentation of the plaque!"

We need more people in the preservation world like Caroline Brown. I wish to thank Caroline at this time for her efforts and unlimited energy for her enduring efforts to preserve another of our precious treasures, our Remaining Covered Bridges. Thanks again Caroline.

Westford Bridge on Dedication Day (45-04-05) Photo © 2001 Dick Roy	Slate Bridge Dedication (29-03-06) Photo © 2001 Dick Roy

The traditional iron rods and turnbuckles that have been trademarks of the bridge for many years will be missing from the scene. The entire bridge was replaced with new material.

About 150 people showed up for the event from as far away as NY state and Pennsylvania. With engineers from the firm of Hoyle and Tanner, town dignitaries, state Senators among others, praising the work accomplished by the firm of Wright Construction of Mount Holly, VT.

After the dedication, I asked Dick and Jeannette Wilson to stop by the car, which was parked a short distance from the bridge. (Dick is president of the NY State Covered Bridge Society, NYSCBS.) I used the excuse of wanting to show him something I had recently acquired. I did indeed show him and gave to him what I had recently acquired. A model of the Harpersfield Bridge by Scaasis Originals, Inc. Why? It was Dick's birthday. The gathering was small and short and then everyone went on his way. (Scaasis donated several models to the NSPCB.) Look for these models in Cracker Barrel stores throughout the nation.

Spanning New York State
Covered Bridge News

By Bob and Trish Kane

Delaware County:

Fitch's Covered Bridge - NY 32-13-02 Photo by Bob and Trish Kane, October 28, 2001

Fitch's Covered Bridge - NY 32-13-02 Great news! Following a brief opening ceremony on December 20, the Fitch's Covered Bridge is once again open to traffic and looks fantastic. It certainly is encouraging to see county officials who are truly dedicated to preserving their bridges. Fitch's Bridge is the last of three covered bridges in that county to be restored. Well worth a trip to see each of them. At this time, it is not certain if there will be an official dedication in 2002, but we will keep you posted. Congratulations to Delaware County for doing such a tremendous job on each of their covered bridges. (Note: We have seen the spelling of Fitch's with, and without an e, but we gratefully stand corrected by several historians in Delaware County, that the proper spelling for the Fitch's bridge is without the e.)

Sullivan County:

Halls Mills Covered Bridge - NY 32-53-01 Photo by Bob and Trish Kane, August 19, 2001

Halls Mills Covered Bridge - NY 32-53-01 Following our August 19 visit to this bridge where we discovered some charred floorboards, we placed a call to the Sullivan County Department of Public Works and spoke with Bob Trotta, an Engineer for Sullivan County. He mentioned that because this bridge is no longer in use, and due to its remote location, it becomes an easy target for vandalism. We spoke at length about the bridge and what could be done to help prevent such incidents. One suggestion was to post a public notice on the bridge indicating the fine and punishment for any type of vandalism to the bridge. Although posting a warning notice will certainly not be a cure-all for vandalism, it might leave enough of a concern in someone's mind to think twice about spray painting graffiti, or starting a fire on the bridge. For those of you who have visited Lancaster County, PA, you are familiar with these notices as they are posted on most of their bridges. It seems to help, as we noticed very little graffiti or vandalism to their bridges. Following this conversation and subsequent e-mails, Sullivan County has agreed to consider posting notices on their bridges.

Other news:
DeLorme Atlas Project - In your next newsletter, we hope to be informing you that the DeLorme Atlas Project is "in the mail." This has certainly been a challenging project, but so much fun, mainly due to all the wonderful assistance we have received from other covered bridge enthusiasts. What a super group of folks! There are only four states to complete: California, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington. If you would like to help with any of the remaining states, write, e-mail or give us a call. Bob and Trish Kane, 167 Williams Rd., Sherburne, NY 13460, e-mail: bobtrish68@clarityconnect.com, phone: 607-674-9656.

It is built to hold up to 80,000 pounds but the road leading up to the bridge will only hold 14,000 pounds. The reason for the 80,000 pound government restriction was because of the grant. It was built 6 feet higher than the previous Jackson Covered Bridge, hopefully to avoid the bridge from floating away during a flood. It was built and put together in Wisconsin, then disassembled and sent to Florida to be laminated. It was then shipped to Greenup, Illinois to be put back together on the spot where it rests today. It has a fire alarm system on the bridge that is connected to the fire department.

A recent article in the Greenup, Illinois paper said that they had a survey to see how many cars were using the bridge and they determined that between 450 and 500 were driving through the bridge. They are tickled to no end with this figure. Greenup seems to be very proud of this covered bridge. Unfortunately he did not know what kind of wood or type of covered bridge it is.

A New Covered Bridge in La Matapèdia in Ste Florence, Quebec, Canada

New Covered Bridge in Ste Florence, Quebec, Canada Photo © Gaïtan Ruest Ing.

by Gaïtan Ruest Ing.

My project of moving the Beausèjour covered bridge of Ste Odile in Amqui is still on the go. I am working very hard to find the necessary money to make it.

Bill Fisk Obituary: Christine Ellsworth let us know that Bill Fisk, from Rochester, Michigan, one of our members, passed away on December 8, 2001. Bill and Mary Lou were on the Safari in Pennsylvania in 1999. Those of you who knew Bill, would say that he was pretty energetic and an excellent photographer. Now another member has passed through the Bridge.

The fire department was still there attending the bridge the next morning. It had been smoldering for quite some time and did considerable damage.

Starting at the abutment, the three bottom chords were burned all the way through and started to burn upward on some of the vertical timbers. The bridge was built in 1870 over the Little Miami River, connecting Highland and Clinton counties. Now by-passed, it is 120 feet long with a Long Truss.

File Cleaning

From Dick Roy: The Union Leader, Manchester, NH, September 29, 2001. Grant to Help Protect Covered Bridges. The federal government is giving the state $380,000 to install dry sprinkler systems and a fire suppression coating on four of New Hampshire's covered bridges. The bridges receiving the funding are: the Cornish-Windsor bridge over the Connecticut River, Saco River bridge in Conway, County Covered Bridge over the Contoocook River in Hanover and the Honeymoon Covered Bridge over the Ellis River in Jackson.

From Dick Wilson: Delaware County Times, NY, June 15, 2001. Extensive Decay Adds to Bridge Restoration Work. Fitch's Covered Bridge (32-13-02) located in Delhi, NY is going through extensive restoration work. Every trunnel, both levels of lower bottom chords, and some of the lattice members will be replaced due to rot and damage from rodents and powder post beetles. Also the corners of the abutment caps have been removed and new concrete bearing areas for the longer trusses have been cast.

From G. Robert Salvi: The Boston Sunday Globe, Boston, MA, Sept. 9, 2001. Mass. Highway Spending Jumps. The covered bridge on Poland Road in Conway, MA (21-06-01) will be turned into a pedestrian bridge according to Massachusetts Highway Commissioner Matt Amorello. They can no longer find a tree big enough to replace the giant chestnut timbers that once held up the structure.

From Andy Howard: The Boston Sunday Globe, November 18, 2001. Old Span To Stay Underwater. The wreckage of a bridge more than 175 years old has been discovered by divers on November 4th at the bottom of the Connecticut River. The structure was built between 1810 and 1812 and was located between Putney, VT and Westmoreland, NH, but flooding washed it away the first spring after it was completed. The remnants of the span have been recorded for posterity on videotape by the Putney Historical Society.

Advertisement: Have your covered bridge, family or pet picture on a brooch, Christmas ornament, paperweight, or magnet. Send me your picture and I will put it on the item of your choice. Your photo will be returned unharmed with your order. (Please send photo sealed in a plastic bag in case the envelope gets wet in shipping.)

Melissa Jurgensen

Pin: 2 1/4" brooch with porcelain stone in antiqued goldtone setting
Christmas Ornament: 3" china with photo on both sides
Paperweight: 3" round china
Magnets (set of 4): 2" china square
All items are $15.95 with free priority shipping!

If you do not have a covered bridge photo you would like to use, you may choose from some of mine:
Kentucky:    Switzer Bridge, Colville Bridge, Oldtown Bridge or Goddard Bridge;
Ohio:           Gee ting Bridge, Roberts Bridge, North Pole Bridge, Spain Creek Bridge, or Swartz Bridge;
Indiana:       Aqueduct, Bell's Ford Bridge, or Medora Bridge;
Minnesota:    Zumbrota Bridge.

Melissa Jurgensen
2278 Harrods Pointe Trace
Lexington, KY 40514
highbridge_ky_1999@yahoo.com

Advertisement: "Covered Bridges of Berks County, Pennsylvania"
Hardback, 137 pages, 71 photos, plus paintings, maps, courthouse records, newspaper accounts, personal stories, list of tolls charged, photos of railroad bridges, and more. Find out which bridge had a fireplug, which bridge supposedly had a murdering ghost.
Send $29.95 with postage to:
Fred J. Moll, 714 Forest St, Fleetwood, PA 19522

The following are items still available through the Society: All of the items below are available from June Roy, 73 Ash Street, Manchester, NH 03104-4906 or E-mail dickroycb1@Juno.com

The Book, Life in the Slow Lane is still available for $16.95 + $3.95 Shipping and Handling. Society Arm Patch with N.S.P.C.B. logo 3" arm patch available for $1.75 + 55c P&H.

Books Available by Andrew Howard:
C/B's of Madison County IA, A Guide.........$6.50
C/B's of Connecticut, A Guide....................$5.50
C/B's of Virginia, A Guide.........................$6.95
C/B's of Bennington County VT, A Guide......$6.50
C/B's of Massachusetts, A Guide ...............$7.00
There is a $2.00. postage and handling charge for each book.

Covered Bridge Polo Shirts with N.S.P.C.B. Logo.

For a white Polo Shirt with a blue NSPCB logo, send $15.00 plus $3.95 for shipping and handling to June Roy, 73 Ash Street, Manchester NH 03104-4906
Specify, Medium or Extra Large. This is a fund raiser for the preservation fund. Buy several as gifts for your family and friends. Shirts are 100% pre shrunk cotton.

Other available books from the Society Store
Covered Bridges of Vermont by Ed Barna. This is a book depicting all the covered bridges in Vermont in the year 1996. Postpaid $17.00 (From June Roy)
New Hampshire Covered Bridges "A Link With Our Past," by Richard Marshall, color photos by Arthur Round. Excellent book on NH bridges. $20.00 plus $3.95 shipping and handling. Proceeds to Eastman Fund.

There is also an excellent book out on Vermont Covered Bridges called: "Spanning Time" -- Vermont Covered Bridges. You can get a copy by contacting Joseph Nelson, 2 Sugar Hill Road, Underhill VT 05489 or Visit >www.vermontbridges.com< Joseph Nelson is the President of the Vermont Society.

New Book: Covered Bridges of Washington State by Lorna J. Smith, published by The Owl's Nest. This 26-page booklet has color photos of 21 covered bridges found in Washington. A brief statement about each bridge is included with directions on how to find it. Order from the author at: P.O. Box 105, Clatskanie, OR 97016. Cost is $6.75 (includes postage).

Scaasis Proudly Presents The American Covered Bridge Collection A portion of the sales of this high quality reproduction of America's Covered Bridges is donated to the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges (NSPCB). These fabulously detailed replicas of Covered Bridges bring back to life the beauty and grace of early American architecture. The stunning detail, inside and out, will make you wish you were there when horse and buggies were the only form of transportation available. There are 23 bridges in the Series I collection. Their popularity has Scaasis adding more bridges to the collection already. Each Covered Bridge in the collection includes a gold information certificate located on the base. Here you will find pertinent details about the bridge such as when it was built, who built it, its span and truss type. These Limited Edition gift items are featured in quality gift shops nationwide like these. Or call Scaasis directly at the number listed below for a list of retailers in your area.

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