- A history collected from the archives of the
New York State Covered Bridge Society*
About This Issue
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Photo by Dick Wilson May 1997 |
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
By Richard S. Allen
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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.
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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.
By Dick Wilson
In a story in the last COURIER by Frances Withee, I learned that the bridge will by by-passed soon. I wanted to get some new views of the old span without the obstruction of a new by-pass bridge, so we made a visit to see Jay in October, 1983. The bridge and stream fit into the surroundings like they were made for each other. It seems a shame to spoil the natural beauty of the Ausable with a new modern bridge. We can only hope that the new bridge will cross downstream from the covered bridge and not obstruct the view of the rapids.
I have not found any old printed post cards showing the Jay Bridge, but the Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Co. of Belfast, Maine published 4 different cards showing the old Jay Covered Bridge.
Card No.4 is a Birds Eye View of Jay, N.Y. which is written on the front. The view is taken from downstream and is looking toward the bridge and the Village.
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| Card No. 66 says, "Mountain View,
Jay, N.Y." This view is looking west at the main span and it shows the mill near the portal of the
bridge. |
Card No. 839 is a side view taken from the
upstream
side md showing the other 2 smaller spans. On the bottom of the photo reads, "Bridge Built in
1856, Jay, N.Y. One of the longest Wooden Bridges in U.S.A." Part of the mill can be seen to the
right. |
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| The last of the Eastern Illustrating
cards is No. JD29C and is a three quarter view with the long span in the foreground and shorter
spans to the left of the picture. The mill is gone and you can see the charred portal where the
bridge started to burn when the mill burned. Jay Bridge has angled portals at that time, now they
are simple square portals. |
Another old photo card I have shows only a
portion of the small Queenpost span on the Village end and it looks upstream. This is a good view
of the log dam across the rocks just before the river tumbles down and under the bridge. Not
much of a dam had to be built at this location to get the needed waterpower. To the right of the
eastern portal is a building with the sign, Massy Harris Blacksmith. On the front reads, "The
Ausable River at Jay, N.Y." |
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| Another photo card I have shows the
entire bridge from below looking west. You can see the small Queenpost span to the left, then the
short stringer span and the long Howe Truss. This card shows the 2 piers holding up the stringer
span inclosed with wood. This may well be the oldest card of the bunch. This card makes the
bridge look like a 2 span structure with a very wide center pier at one end. It could be that at a
later date, that pier was replaced by 2 concrete piers and it stayed that way until the short spans
were replaced. The front of this card reads, "The Covered Bridge, Jay, N.Y." |
The next card is a printed black and white
showing the same side as the last card, but more from above. It has a white border and in the
border it reads, "Covered Bridge-Jay, New York Built in 1856." On the back it reads, "National
Press, Chicago." This card also shows the pier with wood around it. The Blacksmith Shop and the
mill can be seen in the picture also. |
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A side view with a man sitting on the rocks in a bright red jacket is perhaps the hardest chrome to find. Color by Bob Kamf and is an exclusive by Northern Adirondack Views. The number of this card made by Dexter Press is 97793A. This card can also be found in the jumbo card size.
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A summer view. Published by Fily-Gerald, Lake Placid, N.Y. has the number 28619-C.
The last chrome card is a fall scene showing the bridge with a new green roof. This card was published by Page Distributing Co. Lake Placid, N.Y. and printed by Mike Roberts, Berkeley, Calif. The number on the card is C26376 and on the Continental size is No. B5741.
Happy Card Collecting!
[*This material has been posted with the permission and support of Dick Wilson, President, NYSCBS - Ed.]
Joe Nelson, P.O Box 267, Jericho, VT 05465-0267
This file posted April 21, 2004