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This covered bridge, over Middle Run, Elkrun Township, Columbiana County, is the shortest covered bridge in the United States still standing on a once-used public highway, having a clear span of 19 feet and 3 inches. It is an example, rarely found covered, of the simplest, most basic truss design, the two-panel king post truss. It has withstood the rigors of time and traffic since the 1870s and stands in eloquent testimony of the fine craftsmanship of the early Ohio bridge builders.
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Built in 1894 at a cost of $575, this bridge spanned Town Creek at Hoghe Road (Township Road 82) for 100 years. The Van Wert County Commissioners approved the bridge’s construction in response to requests from the Cincinnati, Jackson & Mackinaw Railroad Company. The span is an example of the truss-leg bedstead design. It was intended to handle heavy loads traveling to and from area railroad tracks, which were less than a mile from the bridge’s original location. The bridge was removed from Hoghe Road in 1994. The Van Wert County Engineer’s Department rehabilitated the bridge and, with the permission of the Van Wert County Agricultural Society, relocated it to the county fairgrounds in 1997.
, OH
This covered bridge in the oldest still (1962) standing in the state and the last of the “double-barreled” spans in Ohio. It was built across Seven Mile Creek on the Old Camden Road in 1829-30 by Orlistus Roberts and J.L. Campbell. Its three burr-arch trusses built of native oak and poplar with a clear span of 73 feet, support the double roadway. This plaque has been erected to give due honor to the early timber covered bridge builders of Ohio and the important spans they constructed. [This side also contains a bridge illustration in the upper left corner]
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This covered bridge, spanning Salt Creek in Perry Township, Muskingum County was erected in the 1870s. It is a splendid example of an Ohio covered bridge built with Warren type trusses. It is being preserved as an important illustration of the sound, fine craftsmanship of the early bridge builders of Ohio. This plaque has been erected to give these men the honor they greatly deserve.
, OH
This bridge, spanning Brush Creek in Brush Creek Township, Scioto County, was erected in 1874 by the Smith Bridge Company of Toledo, Ohio. Robert W. Smith was granted patents for timber trusses in 1867 and 1869, and the design for this bridge is a Smith patented truss. The supplemental arches were added in 1896. Original length of 200 feet had been shortened to its present 171 feet. This plaque has been erected to give due honor to these early timber covered bridge builders and to the men of the community who so ably assisted them. [This side of the marker contains a bridge illustration in the upper left corner]
, OH
In July 1863, Confederate General John H. Morgan led a force of 2,000 cavalrymen across southern Ohio. Morgan’s force entered Ohio from Indiana on July 13. A chase ensued as Union cavalry pursued Morgan’s men across twenty Ohio counties. Most of Morgan’s troops were captured in Meigs County at the Battle of Buffington Island. Morgan, with several hundred cavalry, managed to escape. They raced northeast, fighting skirmishes along the way, and forded the Muskingum at a point near Rokeby Lock on July 23, 1863. As they went, the soldiers raided local farms for food and replacement horses. They were finally captured in Columbiana County on July 26. The raid marked the northern-most point ever reached by Confederate forces. Across southern Ohio, frightened residents burned bridges over fordable streams and buried silver and jewelry to hide them from the marauders.
, OH
Lowell was the site of one of ten wooden covered bridges, built from 1820 to 1887, that crossed the Muskingum River from Marietta to Coshocton. The Lowell bridge was built in 1881. Bridges were built out of wood because there was plenty of lumber available, and building with wood was easier and cheaper than using stone. Covers protected the timbers from rain. The bridge connected Lowell, on the north side of the river, with the railroad that ran on the south side. This bridge suffered from many mishaps typical of wooden bridges. In 1882 a severe storm blew off the roof. In 1884 a flood washed the bridge off its stone piers. The bridge was restored, only to be destroyed by the 1913 flood, a disaster that removed many bridges on the river. An iron bridge was built on the site. The last covered bridge on the river was at Conesville seven miles south of Coshocton. Built in 1876, the bridge was condemned in 1958 and destroyed by a controlled fire.
, OH
Zenas King (1818-1892) was a 19th century bridge builder whose iron bridges received wide acceptance throughout the country. He developed his tubular bowstring bridge in 1859, patented the design in 1861, renewed the patent in 1867, and founded King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Company in 1871. Based on an arch’s inherent strength, King’s design used less raw materials than wooden bridges and the square tubes were simple to fabricate and ship for on-site assembly. His Cleveland-based company soon built so many patent bowstrings across Ohio that it set a design standard. (Continued on other side)
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