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An Oregon Bridge Tour
Mr. Nelson - A friend recently sent me some Oregon Covered bridge pictures. These were taken
on a bicycle tour. I thought you might like them.
[She wrote:]"Hi, We have just returned from a week
in Oregon. Among other things we went cycling with our daughter on our favorite bike trail. This
trail just happens to pass three covered bridges. Remembering Lisette's passion for covered
bridges, I took some photos. Carol"
Carol gave me permission to share them with you and
the website. - Tom Keating
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Currin Bridge {37-20-23].
Photo by Carol Harma, June, 2003
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Mosby Bridge {37-20-27].
Photo by Carol Harma, June, 2003
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Mosby Bridge {37-20-27].
Photo by Carol Harma, June, 2003
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Mosby Bridge {37-20-27].
Photo by Carol Harma, June, 2003
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Stewart Bridge {37-20-28].
Photo by Carol Harma, June, 2003
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Stewart Bridge {37-20-28].
Photo by Carol Harma, June, 2003
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{Thank you Tom and Carol - Ed.]
Ontario's Last
Tue, 25 Mar 2003
Mr. Joe Nelson: You were instrumental connecting me with the right people in regards to a
torched bridge in Auckland, Province of Quebec. The Leggett Bridge was named after my uncle.
To say the least a part of my life was destroyed from this loss. Your organization in Vermont is so
important retaining the covered bridges. Your voice is being heard and you have a good following
of caring people.
Another Province in Canada known as Ontario has
only "one" covered bridge. Sad but true! We are happy to share these photos with VCBS
Sincerely,
Brendan & Elizabeth Larrabee
Member of VCBS from Guelph, Ontario
THE WEST MONTROSE COVERED BRIDGE (WGN 59-51-01)
This structure, the only remaining covered bridge in Ontario, was designed by John Bear in 1880,
on the authority of Woolrich Township Council, to replace an earlier bridge over the Grand River.
Built a year later by John and his brother Benjamin, the 198-foot bridge was covered to protect
the wooden flooring and frame against the elements. Known locally as the Kissing Bridge. It later
came under the jurisdiction of Waterloo County. In 1937 the province assumed responsibility for
the Guelph-Elmira Road, including the West Montrose Bridge, and its floor and sub-structure
were subsequently rebuilt and reinforced.
-Ontario Heritage Foundation
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Kissing Bridge at W. Montrose, Ontario, Canada.
Photo by B. Larrabee
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Kissing Bridge at W. Montrose, Ontario, Canada.
Photo by B.
Larrabee
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Mystery Bridge in Bronze
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Bronze casting detail. Photo by Walter Micik
March 20, 2003 |
March 20, 2003 -
Dear members of the covered bridgers community:
Three years ago I was at the Waterbury flea market
and a vendor had the bronze casting in the attached photos for sale. Being a typical tourist we
negotiated a price and ever since I have failed to 1) identify the double covered brides, 2) figure
out what it is I bought. I wonder if the membership might be able to help me with these
questions.
The piece is a solid casting weighing about 12 pounds
with the same bridge on both sides. The square legs are on a 16-inch diameter and have a round
about 1/2 inch hole drilled in them; the circular diameter is about 12 inches. It would appear to be
a center of a gate is my guess. The vendor told me he bought from a dealer in New Hampshire
who did not know the identity of the bridge or what it was from.
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Bronze casting. Photo by Walter Micik
March 20, 2003 |
I would appreciate any help I could get regarding this
item.
Walt Micik
wjmicik@chartermi.net
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Old toll bridge at Hartford.
Photo from Dick
Wilson collection |
March 26, 2003 -
Walt,
The bridge is the Old Toll Bridge across the
Connecticut River in Hartford, Conn. It had a cupola across the center spans. The Hartford
Covered Bridge was built in 1818 by Ithiel Town of New Haven, Conn. and Isaac Damon of
Northhampton, Mass. The bridge was 974 ft.long.
The Bridge burned on May 17th 1895. Here are
photos of the bridge.
Dick Wilson, President,
New York State Covered Bridge Society,
rjwil@borg.com
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Hartford Toll Bridge Interior.
Photo from Dick
Wilson collection
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Hartford Toll Bridge Burned.
Photo from Dick Wilson
collection
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Old Pompy
June 4, 2002 - Just a Note
I found the essay UNCOVERING THE PAST by Steve Miyamoto very interesting. My
family owned a home near Norwich VT on Pompanoosuc river. There was an old abutment for a
bridge that spanned the river just before it joined the Connecticut river, I was always curious
regarding the history of this bridge. I could never uncover any information about this
structure.
Do you have any suggestions regarding where I might
find such information?
Regards, Tim Ullrich
June 6, 2002 - Pompanoosuc Village Bridge
Dear Mr. Ullrich: In 1962 a small book entitled "Rare Old Covered Bridges of Windsor County
(Vermont)" was written by Richard Sanders Allen, one of the foremost authorities on covered
bridges. On page 21 of the above title is information on the Pompanoosuc Village Bridge, World
Guide Number 45-14-67. I quote from this book:
"Drowned out . . . the subject of thousands of photographs, was the big bridge on U.S. 5
at Pompanoosuc village. This long span was a valley landmark for nearly a century. Pompanoosuc
Bridge was built in 1866 by Bela J. Fletcher of Claremont, New Hampshire, who received
$9,913.35 "For work done." Describes as "a practical bridge builder and general carpenter,"
Fletcher is thought to have had a hand in the building of similar bridges over the Connecticut at
Fairlee-Orford and Lewiston-Hanover. He collaborated with James F. Tasker on the
Windsor-Cornish Bridge and, being fifteen years older, may well have taught the latter a great
deal of trade.
Pompanoosuc Bridge used a new system of lattice
which Fletcher may have thought up himself, adapting the original Town "mode." The lattices
were square timbers instead of usual planks, pinned together with iron bolts held by nuts and
washers.
Even after U.S. 5 was changed in 1937 to a new
crossing further downstream, Pompanoosuc Bridge continued to be used until nearly flooded
out. Considered a menace when left only just a bit above the level of waters resulting from the
new Wilder Dam, it was razed in 1954."
I hope that this helps out a bit.
Dick Roy,
Historian, National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges
Ohio's Caine Road Bridge "Sightly."
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Caine Road Bridge, Ashtabula County,
Ohio
WGN 35-04-61 This 96-foot Pratt Truss bridge spans the Ashtabula
River. Date of build is 1986.
Photo by
Chuck & Nancy Knapp 01-11-02 |
Elmira, NY Feb. 27, 2002 - Dear Joe: Here is a picture Chuck and I took of the Caine
Road Covered Bridge in Ashtabula Co. Ohio Jan. 11, 2002. Looking at this bridge from the front
did not excite us, but when we pulled into a drive and took this picture from the side with the
snow, we thought it was beautiful. It is surprising what a difference different angles make.
Catch you later, Nancy Knapp
About Stowe's Gold Brook Bridge
January 29, 2002
Dear Mr. Nelson: I've been meaning to try and contact someone about this information for a year
now, since my husband and I visited Stowe, Vermont last January 2001. I really didn't know who
to contact though, until I read this article in our local newspaper about covered bridges. The
article mentioned the atawalk website which is how I found your name.
While visiting Stowe we went on a "Lantern Walk"
one evening and the gentleman guiding the walk was a teacher at the local high school. He told us
some "spooky stories" while on the walk and the last one was told in the local graveyard while
our lanterns were surrounding Emily's grave-site. He told us the story of Emily and Goldbrook
Bridge and of many unusual circumstances surrounding the bridge. One of which was the fact that
many visitors that had taken pictures of the bridge found that the pictures came back blank or
black after developing.
Well of course my husband and I had to visit the
bridge and of course took pictures. It was rather spooky when the pictures came back from the
developers, with all of the bridge pictures having distortions of colour in them. Particularly since
the bridge pictures were in the middle of the roll. The ones before and after them were
perfect.
But this is not the end of our information and in fact
the best is yet to come. I showed these pictures to many people and of course all were intrigued
with our story. But one weekend a university friend of mine asked if we wouldn't mind having a
visit from an autistic young gentleman that she was tutoring. During the visit I was showing my
friend these pictures and the autistic young man was listening intently but did appear to become
quite agitated when I told the story of Emily. He did not generally speak much but tended to blurt
hesitant words out at times, sometimes pertaining to what you were talking about and sometimes
not. He was very quiet after the Emily story though. We were all sitting around the fire awhile
later that evening, when out of nowhere he blurted out "woman". We all stared at him and my
friend said to him "What woman?" He became quite agitated again and so she asked again "What
woman?" He said "Story". My friend said "You mean Emily". He became very agitated and said
"Yes-yes-yes-pregnant" My friend looked at him incredulously and said "Emily was pregnant". He
said "Yes". And all of a sudden the agitation stopped and he seemed totally at peace.
We live in Canada in a little place called Wellandport.
We had never met this autistic gentleman before that day. But somehow we had to wonder if
possibly Emily was finally at peace. Finally the true story behind her gruesome death was now
known. We wonder whether Goldbrook's Bridge is possibly no longer "haunted" by the memory
of Emily. Since now the truth be known.
If you know who the teacher is that guides the Lantern
Walks in Stowe we would greatly appreciate if you forwarded this information to him. Or
if you could find out who he is, then we could give this information to him ourselves. Possibly if
he is still guiding the Lantern Walks, he can tell others this story and then Emily will be at rest.
Through the words of an autistic young man in Canada, many many miles away and many,
many years later.
Dianne and
Alex Carlassara, 6904 Elcho Road, R.R. #3 Wellandport, Ontario, Canada L0R 2J0
Covered Bridges With Roof Porticos
January 22, 2002
Dear Joe: Here are some more covered bridge photos [See "More CB Mail Bag"] This a
comparison of those of Austria/Switzerland and Michigan.
The Austrian bridge is Kundler Klamm and the
Michigan bridge is Zehnder's Holz-Brucke. To my knowledge, these are the only two in the world
with roof porticos (watch this start some correspondence, but that is good for interest ). Again my
pictures aren't the best but when a person doesn't have time to wait for good weather, he does the
best he can.
The fourth photo is again most interesting (to
me). ALFINSTERMUNZ, A-06-33/S-10-22, is a private foot bridge which straddles the border
between two countries. The photos were taken with a 205 mm Zoom lens. Don't ask how I hung
on to mostly thin air to get my shot!
Yours for more preservation of covered
bridges, Conrad (Connie) M. Nagengast, Chula Vista,CA
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Kundler Klamm Bridge (A-06-85), Tirol
Provence, Austria.
Photo by C. M. Nagengast, 9/8/86 |
Holz-Brucke Bridge (22-73-02), Saginaw County, Michigan.
Foot bridge at Zehnder's Restaurant, N.E. corner.
Photo by C. M. Nagengast,
7/85 |
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Holz-Brucke Bridge (22-73-02), Saginaw
County, Michigan.
Foot bridge at Zehnder's Restaurant, south side.
Photo by C. M.
Nagengast, 7/85 |
Altfinstermunz Bridge (A-06-33), Tyrol Provence, Austria.
Private foot bridge spanning Austria-Swiss border.
Photo by C. M. Nagengast,
9/11/86 |
Bridging in Ashtabula County, Ohio
January 17, 2002
Dear Joe
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Mechanicsville Bridge (35-04-18) photo
©1/9/02, C. Knapp.
Ashtabula, Ohio |
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Harpersfield Bridge (35-04-19) photo
©1/9/02, C. Knapp.
Ashtabula, Ohio |
This past week Chuck and I did some covered bridging in Ashtabula County, Ohio. We saw four
that we had not seen before: the Gidding Road (35-04-62); Crane Road (35-04-61); Harpers Field
(35-04-19); and Mechanicsville (35-04-18).
The Mechanicsville Bridge was closed and
there is a bypass. It is scheduled for rehabilitation soon according to the pamphlet we got at the
info center on I90 just as you enter Ohio from Pennsylvania.
The Mechanicsville Road Bridge made us sad
to think it had been let go so long. On the other had it gave us a very warm feeling to see some
people had thought enough of it to decorate it for Christmas and hang an American Flag in the
middle on the by-pass side for all to see.
Last fall we had seen the Middle Road Bridge
(35-04-06), Creek Road Bridge (35-06-05), and Stole Road Bridge (35-04-58), all in Ashtabula
County. Then we saw the Waterford Bridge (35-25-04), slated for rehabilitation but not sure
when.
We have not been down to the Knapp's
Covered Bridge since last fall. When the weather is better we plan to go see if there has been any
work down on it. We'll keep you posted on work in progress if any.
We are planning on going to Bennington, VT.
to celebrate Chuck's birthday with some friends. Plans are to go covered bridging and to go to the
museum there.
Happy Bridging, Nancy Knapp, Elmira, NY
What Bridge is This?
December 27, 2001
Dear Mr. Nelson: I am planning a trip to Vermont next year and I have been interested to read
that you have written a book about the Covered Bridges in Vermont. I am originally from the
Boston area and came to Australia many years ago. I have been back home many times but never
have visited your lovely state.
I am hoping it is in Vermont so when I come to
Vermont next year, I would be able to take a photo of the real bridge. The bridge is red, has a
black roof and is going over a stream with a gravel road going through. It seems it is on a back
road and not in a town. If this one is not exact or in Vermont, maybe there is one that is in
Vermont which looks similar.
I am attaching the bitmap to show the design. I
am hoping you can help. Thank You. Workbasket Magazine is no longer in print and Celia Lange
is no longer doing designs.
Arthur Rudnick (abrud@ihug.com.au.)
December 27, 2001
Dear Mr. Rudnick: Your red bridge with the squared portal framed in white is probably one of the
three covered bridges in North Bennington, Vermont. The pattern is unmistakable -- there are no
others quite like them.
The three bridges are Silk Road Bridge, Paper
Mill Bridge, and the Henry Bridge, all within a mile and a half of one another, and all accessible
from Vermont Route 67A.
The Henry Bridge is adjacent to the old Henry
Homestead, now a very good bed and breakfast, I am told.
The gravel road you mentioned has been paved
and the roofs of the bridges have been replaced as time requires, but the old bridges are still there
serving the community as their builders meant them to do.
For photos and more on Bennington's bridges,
check my web site www.vermontbridges.com/paprmill.htm
Yours, Joe Nelson
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Joe Nelson, P.O Box 267, Jericho, VT 05465-0267