keatings innewengland5
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Part 5 Hi Folks Both the Wright and Pier RR bridges are Town lattice design(see inside Wright RR picture). The Pier RR bridge is in need of repair. The state of NH has agreed to spend $400,000 on repairs. However this money is contingent on the town of Newport putting up $100,000. For more info on the Pier Bridge project click on the Eagle Times connection below. According to the article, they have only come up with $30,000 so far. Regarding the County bridge, the unnamed road (which becomes Duncan Rd) at the intersection of NH137 and NH123 now has a road sign; Norway. On Saturday, the 23rd, we spent the day in Massachusetts visiting Sawyer Pond, C.H. Waterhous, Pumping Station, Bissell and Arthur Smith covered bridges. The straight picture of Arthur Smith is by me, the diagonal showing the truss, is by Liz. Sawyer Pond is a private bridge, built by the late Frank Sawyer, by himself from age 73-76. There were golf carts inside when we visited. The Chester H. Waterhous bridge, in East Pepperell, is the only authentic, historic covered bridge in use on a public road in the state of Massachussets. The directions to Pumping Station looked complicated, so we stopped at the Franklin County Visitors Center in Greenfield (well marked). The fellow we spoke to was involved in the fund raising effort to preserve the bridge and gave us good directions. It is closed for repairs. We had to park and walk to the bridge as the road is blocked off. We talked to a lady gathering grapevine branches for crafts. The Bissell bridge was easy to find. As for the Arthur Smith bridge, if you use the Evans book, be advised that there two intersections of MA 2 and MA 112. We were about to turn around and give up when we found it--under repair and fenced off. On Sunday, the 24th, while eating breakfast at the Day's Inn, I struck up a conversation with Doug McQuinn and his wife, from New Brunswick, Canada, who invited me to come and see covered bridges there. They pointed out that the longest covered bridge in the world is in Hartland, NB. I said that Liz and I did plan to visit there at some point in the future. Liz and I were finished covered bridging for this trip. We spent the day in Concord. We visited the New Hampshire state museum and then a bookfair, where Liz purchased "Covered Bridges Can Talk" by Lewis A. Harlow. This book has black and white pictures of covered bridges with humorous captions. It was published in 1963, and some of the bridges pictured no longer exist. The final picture (taken by me on 10-13) is my street after the "October Surprise" snowstorm. I know it's not covered bridge related, but it did knock out power to me and about 400,000 customers in western NY state. The local weather spokesman said it was the earliest recorded snowstorm since the Buffalo office started records--137 years ago. We were without power for 4 days. Some people were without for 17 or 18 days. Utility crews came from as far away as Missouri, North Carolina and New Brunswick, Canada to restore power. Over 100,000 trees were damaged. That's the end of this travelogue. Next year we are taking a river cruise trip in Germany and hope to find a couple of cbs there. --
Tom For the Eagle Times Story about the Pier Bridge,click here:
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Joe Nelson, P.O Box 267, Jericho, VT 05465-0267
This file posted 12/6/2006