Historic Treasure of the Week - March 24, 1991
By Jan Buffington
Vigo County Historical Society
Historic Treasure of the Week - March 24, 1991
By Jan Buffington
Vigo County Historical Society
Bridge with a roof was ‘cavernous’
The historical treasure this week is a piece of wood taken from the floor of the old Wabash River Covered Bridge. On one side is a picture of the bridge looking west from the east bank.
This piece of our history was made by Tira Stewart in 1904 when the bridge was torn down. Later, his niece, Virginia Richie, donated it to the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley.
Newspaper articles tell of the first bridges to cross the Wabash River. There were mere trestles built on piling in short spans. One span had to be a draw-span to accommodate the heavy steamboat traffic on the river.
These first bridges were owned by a company and tolls were collected from anyone using the bridge.
The tollkeeper’s ledger from 1847 showed such items as these: cattle, 10,076; hogs, 13,695; sheep, 2,750; mules, 260; movers going west, 1,019 wagons; movers going east, 238 wagons; wagons bound for Oregon, 9.
In 1840, a toll bridge was built at the foot of Ohio Street. It was owned by The Draw Bridge Co. and closed after several accidents.
In 1858, the steamboat, American Star, hit the draw-span and caused it to fall into the river. The flood which took place in March of the following year took out the east end of the bridge and the "June fresh" took out the rest of the bridge.
The company was then reorganized with the following officers and stockholders: William K. Edwards, president; J.O. Jones, secretary; William R. McKeen, guardian for the heirs of James Johnson. Trustees for W.B. Warren and others were Levi G. Warren, James Farrington and George W. Bement.
They set out to construct another bridge which would connect with the highland of the west with the line of the National Road.
W.J. Ball drew up the plans for the two-landed bridge and the company began buying land for the right of way. They paid James Farrington $553.50 (he reserved unimpaired forever his ferry franchise), Thomas Parsons $1, and James Hite $12,500 for the right of way across their land.
This bridge opened in 1864.
It was purchased by the county at a cost of $80,000. Included in this sale were the bridge, causeway, trestle, dwelling, toll house, stable, horse and cart, skiff, lumber, said implements on hand and used about the bridge.
The bridge became a "free bridge" and the tollkeeper was replaced by a bridge caretaker.
The grade of the National Road was narrow and had no guardrails. The willows along either side of the grade made the drive dark, even on a clear night. It soon became the site of many accidents.
One accident claiming two lives took place on the road west from the river bridge. A newspaper article described the scene near the bridge as dangerous in daylight and even more so after dark.
On this night in April 1880, the reporter stated there was a slight mist falling and the night was intensely dark. A wagon carrying 14 people, suddenly reeled, fell and rolled down the north side of the grade. Rescue efforts saved all but two women.
After walking through the covered bridge that night, the reported described his impression of the bridge: "The lamps, placed at regular intervals in the bridge, were glimmering and gave the surroundings a cavernous appearance, which was not diminished by the sullen rushing sound of the river which rolled underneath. Not a soul was to be seen."
Covered bridges dotted the countryside in this area. This bridge was replaced in 1904 by the one used today. History soon will be repeated; construction has begun on yet another bridge across the Wabash.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.