Backyard Adventures

18 Pike Publishing BACKYARD ADVENTURES 2015 Prides Creek park & Campground Open Daily: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. RV & Camping April 1 to Nov. 1 1045 E CR 400 N, Petersburg Just off Interstate 69! great a Other activities include: Tennis Courts • Basketball Courts • Beach Volleyball Championship Disc Golf Course (Voted top fIVe in Indiana) Family Entertainment - Music and Movies Cross Country Course - Regional Championship Host 300+ Acres RV & Primitive Camping Beautiful 9-Hole Golf Course Swimming & Beach Area Great Fishing Shelter Houses Memorial Day • Independence Day Labor Day • Halloween Join us for holiday activities on: for the eNtIre family! on.fb.me/1dFV2no (812) 354-6798 tains the present good condition of the bridge. Lawrence County was established in 1819 and named in honor of Captain James Law- rence, the American naval officer whose trips to England in 1811 produced the unsatisfac- tory answers that led to the War of 1812. He is most famous for his final words, "Don't give up the ship! " Lawrence County originally had six cov- ered bridges. Today, only one remains. Located near Bedford, the Williams Cov- ered Bridge sits just outside of the small vil- lage of Williams, Ind., along Indiana S.R. 450. It crosses the east fork of the White River, just downstream from the Williams Dam, a former electric power generating station. Built in 1884 by Joseph J. Daniels, the bridge received its name from the nearby town, which was named in honor of early set- tler Isaac Williams. Before the bridge was built, people relied on boat or ferry to take them across the stream. A lady named Selma Sheetz ran the ferry. The original bridge came about in the early 1800s when Tilghman Williams ran for office of the county commissioner with the promise to build a bridge. According to historical records, Daniels got the contract to build the bridge, at a cost of $18,700. The county ran out of money and the build- ing of the Williams Bridge came to a halt. Tilghman and some family members de- cided to pledge the money to build the bridge. Williams' uncle, who had pledge a sum, tragi- cally died and Williams couldn't bring himself to ask for the share from his uncle's widow. This angered Williams' brother, so he refused to help pay for construction of the bridge. Tilghman Williams mortgaged his farm so the bridge could be built. The stone for the bridge came from two dif- ferent locations. The center and south pilings were hauled by raft from a bluff down river and the stone for the north side was hauled in by mule and wagon from a nearby quarry. Timber and metal were floated down river from Bedford. The bridge is a Howe Truss design span- ning 373 feet, with a deck width of 14.7 feet and a vertical clearance above deck of 19.2 feet. The famous Williams Covered Bridge was open to vehicle traffic until September 20, 2010. The two-span covered bridge, over the east fork of the White River, was originally built as a gateway between the two sides of the river. Residents of Williams rode horse and bug- gies, and wagons across the bridge. As time went by, the covered bridge began to be used for automobiles. It wasn't planned that way, but it was strong enough. Renova- tions were done in 2012. Some upper chord repairs were made along with new siding on most of the bridge, and some of the floor was replaced. Also about one-third of the roof was replaced, so the timber structure and floor would be fully protected against rain and snow. A new modern bridge was built just downstream from the covered bridge a few years before, allowing the county to close the covered bridge to motor traffic. The longest covered bridge in the U.S. sits about 20 miles southeast of Bedford near the community of Medora in Jackson County. In 1875, Joseph "J.J." Daniels constructed the Medora Bridge, the longest of more than fifty bridges built by Daniels. It took nine months to build, at a cost of $18,142. The Medora Bridge was unusual for its length that included three spans stretching 460 feet across the east fork of the White River. The bridge was built without windows, so locals nicknamed it "The Dark Bridge." Until 1972, the Medora Covered Bridge car- ried traffic. After a modern concrete bridge replaced the old structure, the rarely traveled Dark Bridge began to deteriorate. County residents banded together to raise money and awareness, while politicians ap- plied for funds to first stabilize and restore the old bridge. A National Historic Covered Bridge grant paid for the Dark Bridge to be stripped down to its underlying structure, restored and recovered. The Medora Covered Bridge is closed to motorized traffic. Walkers and bikers can still cross the White River using the bridge. There are three concrete picnic tables in a shady, grass covered area and a boat ramp at the west end with room for an RV to turn around. The bridge is handicap accessible. Friends of the Medora Covered Bridge now hold a Day at the Bridge and Dinner on the Bridge the first weekend of August. The Fifth Annual "Dinner on the Bridge," will take place on Saturday, August 1, at 6:30 p.m. The menu includes fried chicken, ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, broccoli salad, grape salad, dinner rolls, pie and bever- ages served buffet style. A 1936 Associated Press article described Indiana's love of covered bridges: "The people of Indiana began building covered bridges almost as soon as they began building Baptist and Methodist churches, and one-room school houses." According to the Department of Trans- portation manual, 30 states have at least one covered bridge. Pennsylvania has the most, with 227 historic bridges, Ohio has 143 and Vermont has 100. Wooden covered bridges were used to span the creeks and rivers in Indiana as the state developed. Most of them are gone now, replaced by concrete and steel. Construction of wooden bridges began to decline in the 1930s as concrete became available. Historians estimate there were once as many as 14,000 wooden covered bridges in the United States. About 880 remain, accord- ing to the U.S. Department of Transporta- tion's Covered Bridge Manual. Today, 89 historical covered bridges still stand in Indiana. driving direCtions: Red Bridge: From I-64, take IN S.R. 165 North at the Poseyville exit, turning west onto County Road 875 South. Follow County Road 875 South and County Road 1250 West to County Road 850 South. Travel west for four miles on County Road 850 South; right onto County Road 1675 West, travel two miles, then west onto County Road 650. Wheeling Covered Bridge: From I-64 takes U.S. Hwy 41 North to IN S.R. 64 East through Princeton to County Road 550 East. Travel north on County Road 550 East ap- proximately five miles to County Road 400 North. Travel east on County Road 400 North Approximately 1/4 mile to the bridge. Huffman Mill Bridge: From north of Troy, Ind., Anderson Township. IN 545 N. 5.8 miles from jct. with IN 66 in Troy, N.E. on 1300 N. (maybe changes to CR 29) 3.0 miles to the bridge on the west side of the road. At the north edge of Huffman on CR 1490 N., between Anderson and Harrison townships. 3.5 miles east of Fulda on CR 1490, then north 0.3 mile on Addeyville-Huffman Road to the bridge. Williams Bridge: located 12.5 miles southeast of Bedford. Take IN-450, just off 37, for about 10 miles. Make a left on Williams/ Old Huron Road and follow to the bridge. Medora Bridge: One mile east of Medora, Ind., on SR 235 spanning the east fork of the White River. For information about Dinner on the Bridge, visit www.medoracovered bridge. com. AdventureLand has two 18-hole courses surrounded by caves, waterfalls and streams. 4650 Morgan Center Drive Evansville, IN Behind Showplace Cimemas East (812) 477-0500 most unique & exciting miniature golf course! spend an adventurous day at evansville's open march thru october CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 BRIDGE The Medora Covered Bridge, located in Sulivan County, is the longest covered bridge in the U.S., spanning 460 feet.

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