Horton Mill Covered Bridge

Good news for the Blount County, AL, covered bridges. They got a federal grant to be renovated and opened to the public again. Out of the 3 remaining covered bridges in this county, one is the highest covered bridge over a US waterway(Horton-Mill Covered Bridge) and one is currently the longest covered bridge in Alabama at 330ft(Swann Covered Bridge). All 3 are posted to the National Register of Historic Places. Here's the article:

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/08/historic_blount_county_covered.html

At 70 feet above the Black Warrior River, this is the highest covered bridge above any U.S. waterway.

Gina,

You would need to check the Blount County records or find someone from the area that could assist you with this information. I know that a Mr. Tidwell was the main builder, but undoubtedly he had many people working with him.

I have been told my entire life that my grandfather helped in the construction of Horton Mill Covered Bridge. His name is Joseph Luther Laughlin. Just as to satisfy my curiosity does anyone have any info to confirm or deny this, or info where I can further investigate this.

I bet those idiots wouldn't be laughing if someone hooked a chain to an exposed support beam on their house and took off. Oh what a mess. It is sad to treat a bridge like that.

the bridge was vandaelized in 2007 by some fools. The blount news paper,said they hocked up a cain to a truck hocked up to one of the upper main suport beams pulled with the truck and broked the beam!!!!!!!!!! And ever sic: that happend at almost all the bridges in blount county there are cameras mounted on trees!1!!!!!!

After reading more information about the history of the bridge, yes, my great-grandfather was Thurman Horton. He owned the general store. I have a photo of my Dad & his sister as a children with the general store in the background. I'll attach a copy.

I am the granddaughter of Bud Bailey & Leonta Horton Bailey. If memory serves me correctly, my Great Grandfather was one

of the Horton,s that built the Bridge. I know for sure both

my grandparents are from Oneonta. I've visited the Bridge as

a young girl. The photos made me want to cry. I,m a photographer & stroke survivor. I was hoping to come for a visit with my children & shoot photos.

Any word on opening of the bridge being repaired? This is a favorite spot for my daughter and I.

Actually, Niki, there were six historic covered bridges built in Blount County. The fifth one is the 432-foot Standridge Covered Bridge which was located near Hayden. It burnt down in 1967. The sixth one is the Lidy Walker Covered Bridge...built in Blount County in 1926 and moved to Berlin in Cullman County in 1958. Unfortunately, the bridge collapsed in 2001 and no longer exists. Of course, the 385-foot Nectar Covered Bridge you mentioned burned down in 1993. The Swann, Horton Mill and Easley covered bridges are the only three that remain in Blount County.

This bridge was closed to severe damage from vandalism. I have the article in the "Blount Countian" that gave specifics, though I don't have it with me. It was something akin to vandals tying a rope to a main beam and the other end to their vehicle and yanking everything out of whack so bad it was and still is unsafe. Unfortunately, I left the article at my mom's, but I will update when I have specifics.

All I can say is it amazes me how mean, spiteful, idiotic, stupid, etc. etc. people can be. Blount County has already lost one historic covered bridge (the Nectar Bridge) to vandals (fire). I can only hope this US record holder (highest covered bridge over water) can be fixed eventually.

The Horton Mill Covered Bridge was reported closed to motor traffic on September 27, 2007 due to unsafe conditions. I was at the bridge in late October and noticed truss damage on the west side of the bridge. The Blount Countian did a news article about the closing, so I will get with them in regards to a better reason at to a cause. So far, no maintenance work has been done to the bridge...most likely due to no money set aside for repairs since it was an unscheduled event. Therefore, the bridge remains closed to motor traffic.

On September 29th my daughter and I revisted this bridge. It is closed to traffic and boarded up. We are not sure why.