SUMMER, 2004
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Vermont History Expo 2004 To Be Held
About The Jay Covered Bridge
The Jay Bridge By Richard S. Allen
The High Bridge In Middlesex
Covered Bridge Co-owner Dies
Saint Michael’s College Student Writes A Covered Bridge Book
The Shushan Covered Bridge Museum
New Website About Old Covered Bridges Goes On Line
Covered Bridge Community News Notes
Letters -- VCBS Member's Covered Bridge Photo Chosen & Covered bridge
clipping shared
Membership Column
President's Column
|
Vermont Historical Society Expo
2004 |
Vermont History Expo 2004 To Be Held
The Vermont Historical Society Expo 2004 will be
held June 26 and 27, 2004 at the Tunbridge Fair Grounds.
Friday June 25th will be the setup day. The VCBS will occupy booth #2 in Floral Hall.
We will continue with the display of our map of
bridges-gone and bridges-existing as the main focus of
our booth. Suggestions are welcome for additions or changes. Contact Irene Barna at
ibarna@middlebury.edu or (802) 388-0247.
Return to Top
ABOUT THE JAY COVERED BRIDGE [NY-16-01]
A history collected from the archives of the New York State Covered Bridge Society*
New York State Covered Bridge Society Courier - March 1984
|
Jay Bridge (32-16-01) Photo by Dick Wilson May
1997 |
As you read through this COURIER, you will see
many pictures and stories about the Jay Covered Bridge.
Checking the back issues of the COURIER, I found that the Jay Bridge had not been featured.
The Jay Covered Bridge is about to join the
ranks of the retired and unused spans, so, I thought it needed some exposure while it is still a
useful, traffic carrying covered bridge.
The story about the Jay Bridge was written in 1949 by Richard Sanders Allen. Since the story was
written, the 2 smaller spans were replaced
and only the 175 foot Howe Truss was left standing. For almost 20 years, this smaller Jay Bridge
has carried the traffic across the Ausable
River. - Richard Wilson
Return to Top
|
The Jay Bridge By Richard S.
Allen |
The Jay Bridge By Richard S.
Allen
In 1856 the East Branch of the Ausable River went on
a rampage, foaming out of its Adirondack fastness,
and descending upon the little village of Jay, where it tore out mills and destroyed the bridge in
the valley.
The following year saw the building of the present covered bridge, a long 240 foot, oddly-built
structure. As it stands today the bridge
consists of three sections resting on abutments and two huge concrete-faced piers. The main span
is a long Howe Truss over the usual
channel of the Ausable. One of the shorter spans is a simple truss of heavy timbers connected to
the main span by a short girder section.
It is difficult to tell whether the smaller span was originally part of the bridge destroyed by flood
or an uncovered approach to the main
span which in later years was roofed.Jay Bridge is boarded to the eaves, which makes the interior
especially dark. The west portal has a
window for admission of light from a nearby street lamp. The east portal is charred, mute
evidence of the narrow escape of the bridge
when the old mill nearby was burned some years ago. The view of the old unpainted timber tunnel
from Route 9N up in the village includes
a landscape of distant rugged mountains and the broadening Ausable cascading down the gray
rocks from the wide pool above. At the corners
at the village end of the bridge is an old blacksmith shop. Who knows how many hundreds of
horses have gingerly tested their new shoes,
stepping, "not faster than a walk" across the old span, their hoofbeats clattering on the wide
planks. Now it is rare to see a horse plodding
into the bridge, but the reverberating horns of automobiles still wake forgotten echoes.
[*This material is used with the permission and support of Dick Wilson, President NYSCBS
-Ed]
Return to Top
The High Bridge In Middlesex
by Charlie Elflein
While my number one objective for traveling is to see
and photograph historic covered bridges, I also check out flea markets and antique shows on
occasion, chiefly to find old post cards of our wooden landmarks. As time marches on, the prices
of these "paper heirlooms" are increasing day-by-day, but occasionally a real bargain surfaces
that's too good to pass up.
Driving through central Vermont in August of 2003, I
spotted a flea market and decided to investigate. What a worthwhile stop that was! Here I found a
very old card of the former High Bridge in Middlesex, VT. This was published by Buswell's
Bookstore of Montpelier and contained an undivided back, which meant it was printed before
1907. I nearly fell over when I saw the price on the back... 25 cents! Talk about a bargain. Most
older post cards today average in the $8-$15 range, depending what's on it and who's selling
it.
Spanning the Winooski River from high above, this
covered span was aptly named. At first glance, it sort of resembles the existing Halpin Bridge
northeast of Middlebury, perched high above the raging water below. While protected from
flooding, high winds would be more of a problem here.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any
historical information on this former Washington County structure. Since many early town
records were often sketchy or non-existent, maybe that's the case here as well.
Looking at my DeLorme Vermont Atlas, High Bridge
would have been in one of two locations in Middlesex. Either in the village on today's Route
100B, or on Route 2 approximately one mile west of Middlesex. Judging by the two vertical posts
visible on each side, this probably was a queenpost, one of the most popular truss-types used in
this part of Vermont.
Since the bridge was on a main highway, it no doubt
was replaced many years ago. Maybe with further research, more information will surface on this
picturesque span. Whatever the case, here we have a photographic record of another former
Vermont landmark. Like High Bridge, the vast majority of them are only a memory now, but we
can still enjoy their presence by sharing data and photographs to keep the state's legacy of covered
bridges alive for both today's and future generations.
Return to Top
Covered Bridge Co-owner Dies
Ralph Rodgers Reynolds died May 8, 2004 at age 82.
He was the half owner of the C. K. Reynolds Covered Bridge
with his sister B. Ann Porterfield. He was born in Giles County, son of C. K. and Anabel
Reynolds. He is survived by his wife, Katherine Lucas
Reynolds, and son, Dale Reynolds, of Manassas, and daughter, Susan Guthrie of Lyndhurst.
Mr. Reynolds spent 32 years in the field of education
as teacher and principal of Bland High School. He was
active in community affairs as a fund raiser, president of the Bland Kiwanis club, co-founder of
local Future Farmers of America, and supported
many local organizations.
The C. K. Reynolds Bridge, also called the Maple
Shade, and Link Farm Bridge [WGN 46-35-01], is one of three
spanning New Sinking Creek near Newport, Virginia. A 50-foot private bridge, it was built in
1912 using a variation of the queen post truss.
[This item was contributed by Leola B. Pierce, founder
of the Covered Bridge Society of Virginia.]
Return to Top
Saint Michael's College Student Writes A Covered Bridge
Book
by Cate Westberg
I am a recent journalism graduate of St. Michael's
College and for my senior project I put together a 72
page book on a few of Vermont's covered bridges. The book is titled A Moment in Time:
Uncovering Vermont's covered bridges My goal was to bring these inanimate objects to life
and give them a personality. This was achieved. Through chatting with covered bridge enthusiasts
of all ages, organization leaders and local historians, I collected memories and personal anecdotes
which helped the bridges personality and adventures
unfold.
There are seven bridges showcased in this book. The
Holmes Creek Bridge, the Quinlan Bridge and
the Sequin Bridge (Charlotte), The Spade Farm Bridge (Ferrisburgh), The
Grist Mill Bridge and the Cambridge Junction Bridge
(Cambridge) and the Church Street Bridge (Waterville).
Along the way, I uncovered that every individual had a
story to tell and everyone’s love for these historic
structures runs deep as do their love for history and preservation. It was thanks to these people
who have a love for all things old and historical
that made this book possible.
Return to Top
The Shushan Covered Bridge Museum
Seekers after the ubiquitous covered bridges of
southern Vermont and the Battenkill must not miss visiting the
Shushan Covered Bridge Museum in Shushan, New York, just over the Vermont/New York
border. This extraordinary little museum not only preserves a
mid-eighteenth century example of covered bridge construction, it memorializes the way of life of
a small village of the Northeast. More than that,
it demonstrates what a small group of determined people can do for their community.
The Shushan Covered Bridge Association*
The Shushan Covered Bridge Association was
organized in 1974 when it acquired the covered bridge from the
Washington County Highway Department. In danger of imminent collapse due to rain damage
caused by a badly leaking roof, the bridge was shored
up by the efforts of dozens of volunteers rushing to the rescue. Their donations of time, money
and talent saved the old span.
The Shushan Covered Bridge Museum was opened in
1975, born with the idea that the old bridge, itself the
main attraction, would house an ever-changing display of pieces on loan from all over this rural
region. There are many old farms in Washington
County that have agricultural implements, tools and domestic utensils from an earlier time that
would be of interest to museum-goers of all ages.
Old mills and factories yield up an item or two of historic value from time to time. Many pieces
have been donated to the Museum, but most of what
is displayed is on loan.
The Museum's directors feel that the items should be
put in working order whenever possible and demonstrated,
rather than merely being displayed. This is done on Harvest Day in August of each year.
The Shushan Covered Bridge Association operates the
Museum and staffs it with one or more volunteers every
day of the season. These "bridge tenders" will gladly assist you and try to answer any questions
you may have about the Museum and its displays.
The Association membership numbers about 300 and
is open to all who wish to join. Permanently chartered by the
New York State Board of Regents as a private, not-for-profit organization, the Association is
tax-exempt. Any contributions to the Museum and the
Association are tax-deductible.
[© Shushan Covered Bridge Association, Inc. Shushan,
New York 12873]
The Shushan Bridge and the Schoolhouse*
The Shushan Covered Bridge was built during the
spring and summer of 1858 under the direction of brothers
Milton and Andrew Stevens. It is of Town Lattice construction, 161 feet in length, having 46
panels. each 3-1/2 feet on centers. All truss timbers
are either white pine, spruce or hemlock fastened at the joints by trunnels of either red oak or
locust. Primary chords are made up of 3 x 12 inch
plank, with secondary chords and web pieces of 3 x 10 inch plank. Full chord sticks subtend a
distance of eight panels, or 28 feet. The roadway is
16 feet wide. carried on 8 x 12 inch floor beams spaced every seven feet. Eight longitudinal floor
joists carry two thicknesses of two-inch random-width
floor planks.
The bridge trusses were laid out and assembled on the
village green beside the railroad depot, then taken apart
and reassembled over the river on a system of falsework. The total weight of the bridge. including
roof and side covering, is estimated at 80 tons.
Although posted for a safe load of five tons when it
was bypassed in 1963, it has been estimated that it could have
continued to carry six times that amount without trouble. Only 11 ensuing years of neglect of a
leaking roof allowed the upper chords to be damaged.
leading to the near-collapse of the span in 1974. Timely repairs and the reinstalling of a center pier
allow the structure to continue in the limited
duty now imposed upon it. The bridge was bypassed mainly to improve traffic conditions at the
road approaches.
The Town Lattice truss design was one of about 20
wooden bridge truss types developed during the 19th Century.
Patented January 1, 1820 by Ithiel Town. an architect from Bridgeport, Connecticut, it was
extensively promoted by him throughout the South. By 1840
it had become one of a few standard types chosen by local builders because of its ease of
construction by ordinary carpenters.
Although Ithiel Town is generally credited with having
invented this form of truss, there is an engineering
tradition that says the first examples were built in and around Pittsford or Brandon, Vermont as
early as 1812. That these initial efforts were
quite crude, there is no question. It was left to Town to seize upon the idea, develop it and further
improve it during the 1830s.
A few yards from the bridge entrance stands a
one-room schoolhouse. Built on land donated by the Law family,
it was in continuous use as a schoolhouse from 1852 to 1943. Known variously as the Lower
Camden School or the White School, it was officially
District School No.6 of the Town of Salem. When it was closed the property reverted to the
descendants of the Law family. It was purchased later
by J. Edward Hawes and presented to the Shushan Covered Bridge Museum. The school was
moved to its present site in 1979 and opened for visitors
in 1981. It is now furnished with desks and texts from the 19th Century.
[*Text taken from Shushan Covered Bridge
Association, Inc. brochure]
Return to Top
New Website About Old Covered Bridges Goes On Line
By Trish Kane
I am extremely pleased to announce that Covered
Spans of Yesteryear's web site, www.lostbridges.org is now up
and running and ready for assistance from covered bridge enthusiasts. Before I tell you how you
can help, please join me in thanking Bill Cockrell
from the Oregon Covered Bridge Society and Dick Roy from the National Society for their
tremendous support, words of encouragement, testing of the
site, and for supplying so much wonderful information on past bridges to get this project off the
ground. And thanks to each of you who sent in
information on covered bridges in your state, and to those of you we contacted who tested the
site for us and offered such great feedback. It was
extremely helpful. And last, but certainly by far not least, a very special thank you to Bill Caswell
who has spent countless hours this past year
setting up, testing, and inputting information for this website. His computer expertise has been
invaluable and we are extremely fortunate to have
him be such an integral part of this project. Work is going forward on the Poland Bridge as the
siding is applied, the downstream side being
nearly completed. When the siding is finished the oak runners will be installed and the roofing put
on.The camber appears
to be holding at very nearly last weeks measurement of 14 3/4 inches.
On behalf of all of us, please accept this warm
invitation to visit: http://www.lostbridges.org to
see the progress we have made and please, feel free to offer suggestions. We really do want to
hear them. If you would like to enter information on
bridges from your area, state, or any state, please let us know. We will be happy to provide you
with instructions on how to do so. Don't have a
computer but would still like to help out? Not a problem. We have designed a special form just
for this purpose. Just contact us and we will be happy
to provide you with the necessary material to get you started.
As in anything new, and keeping in mind how
frustrating computers can often be, we anticipate there will still be
some "bugs" that will need to be addressed as more and more people input information. Each
computer system is different and will accept and send
information in various ways. If you find you are having any issues with the site, please do not
hesitate to contact Bill Caswell, our Webmaster for
this project.
Again, thanks to each of you for your wonderful
words of encouragement and support with this new endeavor.
For more information, contact:
Bill Caswell, New Hampshire, (603) 753-8244
wscaswell@aol.com
Bill Cockrell, Oregon, (503) 399-0436
wildbill-salem@worldnet.att.net
Bob & Trish Kane, New York, (607) 674-9656
bobtrish68@frontiernet.net
Dick Roy, New Hampshire, (603) 623-8406
dickroycb1@juno.com
Return to Top
Covered Bridge Community News
Notes
Knapp Bridge Repair Wins Industry Award
|
Knapps Bridge [WGN PA-08-01]
Built in 1853 using the Burr Truss to cross Brown’s Creek near Luthers Mills, PA. Renovated in
2002.
Photo by Chuck and Nancy Knapp, March 21, 2003
|
Luthers Mills, Pa., April 8, 2004 - The project to repair Bradford County's Knapp
Covered Bridge won the Pennsylvania Partnership
for Highway Quality Award at the group's spring convention.
Receiving plaques were the Bradford County
government, PennDOT Engineering District 3-0, and
Dewberry-Goodkind Inc. and Lycoming Supply Inc. They represent the owner, designers and
primary contractor of the rehabilitation
project, taking top honors in its class of nine entries for spans 150 feet or less.
The goal of the work, in December of 2002, was
“restoration of Knapp’s Bridge for modern use
while retaining the original historic character of the bridge”, said Rick Mason Penn Dot District 3
spokesman.
The goals included using materials approved by the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission,
strengthening timber members and structural connections to accommodate modern vehicle traffic
and developing abutment repair methods
that improved aesthetics and facilitated operations.
[This item based on article published by Daily and Sunday Review, Towanda Pa. on their website:
http://www.thedailyreview.com/site/news.cfm.
Our thanks to Chuck and Nancy Knapp, and Dick Wilson for sharing this news item -
Ed.]
Buskirk and Salisbury Center Bridges Repairs underway.
|
Salisbury Center Bridge [NY-22-01] Photo by Dick
Wilson, April 16, 2004
|
April 18, 2004 - Joe, just to update you on what is going on here in New York, here are
a few photo's from 2 bridges that are undergoing repair now.
We visited Salisbury Center on April 16th and found work underway. The floor is out of the
bridge and work is being done on the abutments. Nice pictures
can now be taken of the multi-king post truss. Notice that there is a single arch on the inside of
the truss, and it does not go down into the abutment.
The end of one of the arches is real bad.
Buskirk Covered Bridge was visited on April 16th and we found all the siding removed
and the roof also removed. Abutment work is well on
its way on the Washington County side. This is a good time to see former repair work on both
ends with boiler plate and how it did not work. This
old patch up work will all be gone soon.
- Dick
Wilson
|
Buskirk Bridge [NY-42-02] Photo by Dick Wilson,
April 16,2004
|
Poland Bridge Rehab Progress [WGN 45-08-02]
|
Poland Bridge - On upstream side looking north.
Windows cut, siding following the top of the arch. Photo by Jim
Ligon, April 1, 2004
|
April 1, 2004 - Pictures being worth a thousand words, Jim Ligon, Alpine Construction
foreman, has sent along some of his photos to show some of the final touches completing the
restoration of the Poland Covered Bridge.
A new bit of covered bridge trivia - With the
reconstruction work complete, the Poland, or Cambridge Junction
Covered Bridge, is the only Burr Arch span in Vermont where the arches act upon the faces of the
abutments. The arches in all of the others terminate
near the ends of the lower chord. (The arches in the Pulpmill Bridge in Middlebury/ Weybridge
also act upon the abutment face-walls, but the Pulpmill
Bridge uses a laminated arch, not a Burr Arch.)
Canyon Bridge Rehabilitation Progress [WGN VT-08-01]
|
Removal of old metal roof reveals even older wooden
shingles. Photo by Joe Nelson April 27, 2004.
|
Jeffersonville, May 19, 2004 - Canyon, or Gristmill Bridge rehabilitation project was
opened for bids on January 9, 2004. The low bid, by Blow
and Cote Construction of Morrisville, Vt., was $466,057.05 The only other bidder, Contractor's
Crane Service, also of Morrisville, bid $623,318.00.
The Engineer’s estimate was $354,101.50.
The engineering and inspections were done by McFarland-Johnson, Inc. of Binghamton, N.Y. for
the Vermont Agency of Transportation. The project is
funded through the Vermont Agency of Transportation with 80% federal, 10% state, and 10%
from the Town of Cambridge. When the work is completed the
bridge will have an ASHTO live load rating of H-5, or 10,000 pounds.
The contract calls for the contractor to avoid
unnecessary disassembly of the truss and roof system. Only the
joints that affect repairs to the trusses shall be disassembled. The contractor is also required to
stockpile all reusable timbers and boards for
reuse, and dispose of deficient timbers and boards. The existing deck planks and timbers, and
distribution beams shall remain the property of the
Town of Cambridge.
The bridge floor system will be replaced "in kind",
there is no plan for the use of Glu-lam. New structural
timber will be eastern spruce, the siding timber, hemlock, and the bolster beams and bedding
timbers will be southern yellow pine.
A Bridge to the Past Covered Bridge may be built west of Princeton, IL
by David Silverberg, Princeton Bureau Chief
Princeton, IL - Larry Vetter recalls his childhood days at the Captain Swift Bridge west
of Princeton.
"I would go swimming and fishing in Bureau Creek
with other kids. We would walk or ride bikes to the creek," Vetter said.
Now as Princeton Township road commissioner, he is
involved in planning a replacement for the one-lane iron truss bridge.
"Last year, we had to replace four steel beams under the bridge. They had rusted and fallen
down," Vetter said.
For longevity, maintenance cost savings and safety
reasons, Vetter proposes a two-lane covered bridge.
"I like the timber structures. The Red Covered Bridge
has been here (over Bureau Creek north of Princeton)
for 140 years," said Vetter. "Approximately a year ago, I thought the Captain Swift site would be
a super location for another covered bridge."
Vetter, who was employed by Princeton Township for
20 years before becoming road commissioner in 1999, knows
from experience the benefits of a covered bridge.
"Because it has a roof, it will outlast a standard bridge.
The roof keeps the snow and ice off the deck so we
don't have to salt it," Vetter said.
He also cited increased safety for motorists by having
a two-lane bridge and eliminating the curve in 1600N Road.
"Because the bridge is in the middle of a curve, the
vision is not good for oncoming traffic," Vetter said.
This problem will be solved by moving the road and
bridge 80 feet to the north. "You will be able to see straight
through the bridge," Vetter said.
Due to the condition of Captain Swift Bridge, a 27-
ton weight limit has been imposed.
No one seems to know the structure's history or how it
became known as the Captain Swift Bridge, but Vetter
thinks it was built in the early 1900s.
Vetter said farmers also will benefit from a new bridge
by being able to move heavier and larger equipment and loads.
Farmer Charles Read of rural Princeton agrees.
"Combines are too heavy and loaded trucks can't cross the bridge,"
Read said. He and Steve Barlow farm fields on both sides of Bureau Creek". "A new bridge will
make it a lot better for us," Read said. He and Barlow
currently have to "go all the way around" to reach fields on the east side of the creek.
The first step a township road commissioner must take
to obtain a new bridge is to contact the county highway office.
Vetter filed a petition for a new bridge because "the
existing bridge is in need of replacement; for several reasons,"
according to county highway engineer Jeff Peacock.
"Then we became aware of other counties that had
built timber bridges," said Peacock. "Whiteside County built a two-lane
covered bridge north of Morrison in 2001. The contractor was Ladd Construction of Ladd."
Other covered bridges built in the past four years are located in
Knox, Cumberland and Clark counties.
Peacock also said the bridge deck will be supported by
"a burr arch structure extending from abutment to abutment."
The single-span bridge will be four-feet higher above the creek than the existing one in order to
prevent debris pileup during flooding.
If a standard concrete bridge is built, it will have piers
which would add to the debris pileup problem, according
to Peacock. He also emphasized the new bridge will support "all legal loads transported down the
road."
In addition to replacing the bridge, Peacock cited the
need for realigning the road and the intersection east of
the bridge for safety reasons.
"The Y intersection at Epperson Road will be replaced
with a T intersection," Peacock explained.
Read was glad to hear the plans include realigning the
intersection. "Motorists respect the one lane bridge, but
the real scary part is the intersection. It is really dangerous," Read said. "People don't yield. They
don't look. There are a lot of close calls."
The current yield signs will be replaced with a stop
sign for eastbound traffic on l600N. Traffic on Epperson Road
would not have to yield or stop. "We are hopeful to have the majority of the cost paid for with
federal funds," said Peacock, who is applying for Major
Bridge Program funding. "This project will not take away from other bridge needs of the
county."
The city also is being asked to help with the
intersection improvement because Epperson Road is in the city limits.
It is not known yet how much funding will be available
or when the project will be started. No decision has been made
on whether or not a covered bridge will be built.
"A second covered bridge over Bureau Creek will be
an asset for the county and hopefully a tourist attraction," Vetter said.
[This article was published December 6, 2003, by the NewsTribune, Lasalle, Ill. We thank David
Silverberg for his permission to post his article. David
Silverberg can be reached at ntprinceton@ivnet.com. Also, thanks to Bob and Trish Kane for
sharing the article with me.- Editor]
Return to Top
VCBS Member's Covered Bridge Photo Chosen.
|
Windsor-Cornish Covered Bridge. Photo by Helga
McGuire |
Dear Mr. Nelson:
April 2004-I thought you might be interested in an old clipping that was in the Rutland Herald
about 1942 or 1943. It is about the "Red Bridge" in
Pittsford. I am also sending an ad of covered bridge checks. I was real pleased to have had one of
my photographs chosen.
I enjoy the newsletter very much. It is great so many
bridges are being saved. I used to live on Gorham Bridge Road
in Proctor.
Yours truly, Helga O. Maguire
Covered bridge clipping shared. Mystery Bridge? Cecil
Larson, Proctor, Wins Painting Award At Show in Chicago
(Special to the Herald)
Proctor, Feb. 12.-- National recognition of his artistic ability has come to Cecil Larson, artist of
this town. His painting "The Red Bridge,"
which he had sent for the annual exhibition of the Swedish American Artists association, recently
held in Chicago, was selected by the committees
of judges as being the outstanding painting in the show.
The work will be purchased by the association, and
sent to Sweden, where it will be shown in a permanent
exhibit in the Memorial Art gallery, located near the Swedish capital in Stockholm.
The subject for the picture, is the bridge crossing
known as "Sucker Brook," in Fredettsville, a short
distance north of Proctor. Peculiarly, Larson's first intimation that he had received this award,
came from an admirer, a woman of Maywood, Ill.,
who wrote a poem, in appreciation of Larson's work, with reference to the painting. The woman
had evidently lived or visited in Vermont.
Larson is well known in artistic circles in this state. His
exhibit at the Manchester show last Year caused
considerable favorable comment. He also exhibited at Stockbridge, Mass,Ogunquit, Me., New
York, Palm Beach, FL,and Vermont shows. He is the son of
Mr. And Mrs. Carl Larson of this town.
4/6/04 Hello Joe!
I did some research for you and found out that the
Mysterious Sucker Brook Bridge in Fredetteville is actually
the Cooley Bridge (45-11-07). It turns out that the section of Pittsford where the Cooley bridge is
located was known by the locals who lived there
as Fredetteville. Using information out of the book Pittsford's Second Century 1872-1997, by
Davies, Armitage, Blittersdorf, and Harvie, I was able
to find two good entries on Fredetteville. The first entry on page 581 reads "Fredette Families:
The original settler Peter Fredette, came from Canada
and purchased a portion of the original Benj. Cooley farm on Elm St. south of the Cooley Bridge.
The whole area of lower Elm St. is known as Fredetteville."
A second reference in the back of the book stated,
"Fredetteville: Cooley bridge to Gorham bridge area. Several
Fredette Families live there." After solving the Fredettevile mystery this still left the unanswered
question about what is the Sucker Brook, for the
Cooley crosses the Furnace Brook. I contacted the Pittsford Historical Society and they told me
the section of Furnace Brook that the Cooley crosses
has been called "Sucker brook" by the locals that live there. This came about because the suckers
would "run" up into the brook from the Otter Creek.
I was able to find some information on Cecil Larson in
Pittsford and Proctor Cemetery inscriptions Rutland County
Vermont, recorded September 1991 by Margaret R. Jenks. "Cecil Larson was born on Feb. 29,
1908. He was a Pvt. in the US Army during WW II. He died on
Aug. 10, 1972 at the age of 64, and was buried at South Street Cemetery, Proctor, Vt."
I hope this information clears the mystery surrounding
the Sucker Brook Bridge.
YIB, Bob Cassidy
4/5/04 Robert: I received the attached news clip from member Helga Maguire. She says that the
clipping came from the Rutland Herald " . . . about
1942 or 1943." Do you know what this bridge was? If you do, is there a photo available.? I'd like
to develop this for the newsletter.
YIB, Joe Nelson
Return to Top
by Trish Kane, Membership Coordinator
Summer is coming to New England and although the
price of gasoline might deter some of us from doing as much
bridging as we would like, I hope some of you will still be able to get out and see some of our
bridges. For those of you who can't, it might be
a great time to do a little arm chair bridging. Dig out your photographs from past bridging trips
and take the time to mark and mount them in photo
albums so you can revisit them as often as you'd like. Although personally, I hate sorting and
marking all my photographs, I do enjoy viewing the
photographs again and remembering our wonderful bridging trips.
Please join me in welcoming the following new
members to the Vermont Covered Bridge Society: Joe and Lorraine
Bianco, Bellmore, NY and Philip & Antoinette Reed, Babylon, NY.
A little reminder, speaking of memberships—many of
our members are in arrears in their dues. Please check the
mailing label on this newsletter. If it says (03) next to your name, please update your membership
with a check. Every little bit helps us in our
mission to preserve our covered bridges.
As you travel this summer, please remember to
mention the Vermont Covered Bridge Society to people you meet
along the way. Better yet, why not request a few of the society's newly designed brochures so you
will have them readily available to distribute
as your travel throughout the months ahead? And don't forget to keep a few in your vehicle
should you meet a 'new' bridger at one of our bridges.
The brochure was designed with a membership form as part of the brochure for convenience. If
you are interested in having some brochures sent to you,
please contact Joe Nelson at jcnelson@together.net. Or feel free to pick up some at the
upcoming All Member Meeting on Saturday, June 12th.
Have a safe and wonderful summer and enjoy your
time visiting our bridges.
Yours in Bridging,
Trish Kane
Membership Coordinator
Upcoming Birthdays and Anniversaries:
June
14 Dick &
June Roy
20 Joanne
Billie
28 Bob
Kane
28 Dolores
Grendron
July
1 Melvin &
Judy Marolewski
11 Marie
Bechard
14 Shirley
Hill
20 Bob &
Trish Kane
28 Raymon
d Grendron
28 Richard
Roy
August
2 Conrad
Nagengast
11 Francis
Converse
18 Ed &
Irene Barna
23 Kathy
Ramsey
25 Jim &
Linda Crouse
29 Raymon
d & Dolores Grendron
29 Melvin
Marolewski
31 Kathleen
Havranek
Return to Top
In my last column I told you about the proposed
agenda for the 5th Annual Director's Meeting.
There were six items and an invitation to add more. No agenda items were added to the six.
The board approved the membership's pledge of $500
at the All-member Meeting to the fund for
the restoration of Montgomery's Hectorville Bridge, and doubled the amount to $1000.
Meanwhile, because Montgomery's Hectorville
Bridge committee's bid for a grant has failed, the project is on hold while that committee is
examining its options. The $1000
remains in our treasury but should the Hectorville Bridge project go forward, we will honor our
pledge.
The board approved the establishment of a covered
bridge preservation fund, the principle to
be invested for growth. Also approved was the sale of the painting donated by artist Eric Tobin,
the money to go to the preservation
fund. Membership donations and money collected through our website Covered Bridge
Marketplace, and from the VCBS Sales Table at meetings
will also go to the preservation fund. The good folks at the Bryan Memorial Gallery have agreed
to help us sell the painting.
Meanwhile, the new preservation fund needs a name. Please send me your suggestions.
Last, but not least, the board agreed that the VCBS
should join the Vermont Alliance of Nonprofit
Organizations (VANPO). This is an opportunity to increase our visibility and our effectiveness in
fulfilling our mission in preserving
our covered bridges. The benefits of VANPO membership are: Entry to a large network of
nonprofit support and fellowship; help from a
staff available to offer advice; Discounts - 10% off all TAP-VT* training; 10% off tuition to the
Vermont Leadership Institute run by
The Snelling Center for Government; 10% off tuition to the Annual Executive Director's Retreat;
Discounts on subscriptions to: Nonprofit
Vermont and New England Nonprofit Quarterly; Special Rate of $75 per class at
Cyberskill/Vermont; Discounts and Special Offers at Boise
Cascade Office Solutions; Members receive VANPO News & Views, and the Legislative
Updates; and more. VANPO has people in Montpelier and
communicates regularly with its membership concerning proposed legislation and state budget
issues that have an impact on our organization
and the work that we do.
We can easily join VANPO for a small fee. BUT! We
need a member to step forward to volunteer to be our
Contact Person to serve as pipeline to the VCBS membership, advising us about training courses
and events and letting the VANPO network know
what it is we are doing. If you are willing to serve, please contact me at jcnelson@together.net, or
802.899.2093
Yours in Bridging, Joe Nelson, Prez, VCBS
*TAP-VT: training workshops teaching accounting,
grant writing, management, and other courses needed to
make an organization effective. VCBS will pay tuition for members who will use what they learn
to advance VCBS program *TAP-VT: training workshops
teaching accounting, grant writing, management, and other courses needed to make an
organization effective. VCBS will pay tuition for members who
will use what they learn to advance VCBS programs.
|
Return to top
Joe Nelson, P.O Box 267, Jericho, VT 05465-0267
This file posted July 7, 2004
|
|