Diamond Jubilee: Covered Bridges, Indiana
- Matthew P G
- 6 minutes ago
- 3 min read
After Clifty Falls State Park, we still had time before reaching Indianapolis by early evening. I noted there were more covered bridges along the way. AQ was willing, but I had the feeling after all the ones we saw in Ohio, he thought it wasn't necessary to see many more. We chose three that were not far off our path.
James Covered Bridge
James Covered Bridge is a covered Howe truss bridge over Graham Creek in Jennings County, Indiana. It is named for Thomas S. James who owned the adjacent property and mill. 1 3 The bridge is also commonly referred to as the Kissing Bridge, as the names of several of James’ children and those that they courted are scribed on the wood inside the truss. County commissioners John F. Hayden, Eli Wells, and James McManaman requested that a bridge be built at James Ford in Lovett Township on March 26, 1887. Shortly after, Robert Carson filed suit to have the crossing built instead at Carson Ford, a mile upstream, but the lawsuit had been filed too late and was dismissed. The James Ford bridge was proposed to be 130 feet long with a main span of 122 feet, and that it be a covered Howe truss with wrought iron tie rods and cast iron angle blocks. Work on the bridge began by the Barron & Hole Company shortly after the lawsuit was dismissed with the laying of the one-foot-thick native limestone abutments, followed by the erection of the superstructure with wood furnished by the local James Saw Mill. Construction took five to six weeks to complete.
The first of the bridges we encountered was the farthest from the main road. It was not well sign-marked, but with google maps we found it. For me, it was the most similar to ones I saw back in Pennsylvania. Its setting is in farmland and the bridge is still in active use.
Scipio Covered Bridge
Significance: Wooden truss bridge created an important crossing over Graham Creek, embodying the importance of bridges to early development of transportation in the county. Represents significance in engineering by showing development of Howe truss in wood form, prior to use of steel in bridge construction.
Bit of history: Residents of Scipio frequently demanded the construction of the bridge due to issues of ice breaking up on the creek, preventing fording for a 15 mile stretch. They also noted that funds that were supposed to go towards bridge construction there, were instead used for bridges over the Muscatatuck (possibly referring to the Weston Covered Bridge, which was torn down in 1917). A petition, with 160 names, circulated which helped result in the decision to build.
The Scipio Covered bridge is closer to the main road and more scenic. It has a long "window" on one side - completely different from any bridges I had seen in Pennsylvania. It was the most beautiful of the three bridges we visited on the way to Indianapolis.
New Brownsville Covered Bridge
The Brownsville Covered Bridge was built near Brownsville, crossing the East Fork of the Whitewater River, in 1840 by Adam Mason. In 1986, it was relocated to Bartholomew County and shortened to 96 feet. The bridge has a Long Truss style and originally measured 166 feet with an additional 8 foot overhang on each end. The bridge, in its new location, is still open to traffic.
The final bridge we visited was relocated to a modern park. Its setting is beautiful, and provided incredible photo opportunities. Unfortunately, removing a bridge from its original location can diminish the experience. AQ and I agreed that it was beautiful, but we would have rather experienced it in the original location.
It was clear to me that A had his fill of covered bridges. I do not disagree that they all get a little samey after a time, but I still loved their uniqueness. Those were the last we saw on the trip.
Next stop - Indianapolis.
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