Month: March 2023

Covered Bridges once covered most of America’s streams and creeks, connecting towns and counties. However, today most are gone and have been replaced by unappealing but sturdy and safe concrete bridges. Beautifully structured covered bridges are now mostly just memories and pictures to younger Americans. Even I barely remember traveling over these bridges as a child. But in my area we do have a few bridges that have survived the years of high water and floods. These floods moved many bridges off their foundations. They washed them downstream or completely destroyed them. Some have been turned over to the local county historical society which keeps them in good shape. Most can not be driven over any more but there are two that still are open to traffic.

A Gone Forever Era

Covered bridges are a significant part of America’s history. They bring back good memories of a time when life was simple and carefree. Covered bridges certainly create an urban country picture like nothing else. A picture of a covered bridge in winter shows snow covering it and an icy creek beneath. It makes me want to sing the song “Over the River and Through the Woods to Grandmother’s house we go.” A horse drawn sleigh completes the picture. In the fall, a covered bridge makes a beautiful picture. Colorful foliage surrounds it. Water rushes underneath it. We can only wish we still had the chance to experience just one more sleigh ride. We long for a ride over the old covered bridge. Sadly, that era is pretty much gone forever.

At one time, there were approximately fourteen to fifteen hundred covered bridges across the United States. Today, most of those bridges are gone. Some were swept away by flooding waters and severe storms. Others simply became too old and unsafe for heavy cars and trucks. Some of these covered bridges that do remain are at least one hundred and fifty years old. Many states are now trying to save these historical bridges and restore them. They have become historical landmarks. These bridges should be valued by future generations. Otherwise, future generations will never know their beauty.

Pennsylvania was one of the few states that resisted adopting iron bridges when they became popular. Instead, it continued to build covered bridges. As a result, in Pennsylvania there are close to two hundred surviving covered bridges still standing. Today, a friend of mine and I drove across one of the few remaining bridges still in use today.

Ghost Stories Haunted Bridges

Covered bridges have many great stories to tell. Young lovers found these covered bridges great places to sneak away from prying eyes. But many of these bridges also have very sad stories. Legends are attached to them. Over the years, they have become sites for those interested in paranormal activities.

Historic Sachs Bridge In Gettysburg Pennsylvania

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania claims one of the most historic covered bridges in Pennsylvania or for that matter in the entire nation. Sachs Bridge was built sometime between 1852 and 1854 by David Stone. It crosses the Marsh Creek, in Adams County, for one hundred feet and is fifteen feet wide. This bridge gained fame because both the Union Army and the Confederate Army used it during the battle of Gettysburg. General Robert E. Lee and his confederate troops retreated from Gettysburg by way of Sachs Bridge.

It is said that this bridge is haunted three deserters were hung from the one end of the bridge. It is also near the hospital that was used after the Battle of Gettysburg.

The Sachs Bridge was closed to traffic in 1968. In either 1996 or 1997, heavy rains washed the bridge off its foundation. The rains moved it downstream. It has since been taken over by the Gettysburg Preservation Association and repaired.

Emily’s Bridge in Stowe, Vermont

Emily’s bridge is a colorful sad tale. The story is that Emily went to the bridge to wait for her young beau and the pair planned to elope. However, the groom failed to appear and Emily was found hanging from the rafters of the bridge. Another version of the story is that Emily was thrown from a horse into the water and drowned. And then there is the story of a woman who says she made up the whole story to keep kids in the seventies from partying at or near the bridge.

Hell’s Bridge in Michigan

This tale sounds like a horror movie. It seems that children were being abducted in the local area of the bridge. The townspeople decided to search for the abductor. They left their children in the care of a strange character named Friske whom they thought to be a kind caring old gentleman. But Friske turned out to be the one abducting and killing the children. Friske seemed to be possessed by demons and killed the children he was supposed to be looking after. The enraged parents immediately hung the old man from the bridge. It makes quite a gruesome story although it’s doubtful a true story.

Colville Covered Bridge in Kentucky

Colville covered bridge was built in Kentucky in 1877. There are several stories about the bridge being haunted. The biggest ghost story is about a pair of teenagers who died on prom night. The story is that the couple was driving home in the 1930s from their prom. Their car veered out of control. It ended up in the water, and the two drowned.

Covered bridges have some very interesting and colorful stories of young lovers and lost lives. How many of the stories are true no one knows. But these bridges certainly were a great part of our history. Hopefully, some will remain cared for to preserve their history and their stories.

Please Help To Preserve Our Historical Bridges

It takes time, money and volunteers to save our wooden covered bridges but they are worth the time and effort. These covered bridges have a timeless beauty, wonderful charm and great engineering structures. If you have the time, money, energy and knowledge to help save our bridges please consider helping.