Bell Ford Covered Bridge 14-36-03
Facts
- Overview
- Collapsed covered bridge over East Fork White River
- Location
- Jackson County, Indiana
- Status
- Destroyed by flooding
- History
- Built 1885; collapsed in 1999 and 2006
- Builders
- - McNairy & Claflen Manufacturing Co. of Cleveland, Ohio
- Robert Patterson
- Design
- Covered Post through truss
- Dimensions
-
Total length: 330.0 ft.
Deck width: 16.5 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 12.5 ft.
- Recognition
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 2005
- Also called
- Bell's Ford
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +38.97350, -85.92960 (decimal degrees)
38°58'25" N, 85°55'47" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 16/592723/4314380 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Seymour
- Inventory numbers
- WGCB 14-36-03 (World Guide to Covered Bridges number)
NRHP 05000194 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 36165 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- March 29, 2020: New photo from Tony Dillon
- May 12, 2018: New photos from Mike Daffron
- December 15, 2013: Updated by Will Truax: Added builder
- October 9, 2013: New Street View added by J.P.
- February 20, 2010: Updated by Robert Stephenson: HAER data
- February 15, 2010: Updated by Anthony Dillon: Added GPS coordinates
- April 9, 2009: New photos from Anthony Dillon
- March 30, 2009: New photo from Anthony Dillon
- June 27, 2008: Updated by Tom Hall: photos added
Sources
- Dale Travis Covered Bridge List
- Tom Hall - thomas [dot] hall [at] ffni [dot] com
- Tony Dillon - spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com
- Robert Stephenson - seinfeld99 [at] yahoo [dot] com
- HAER IN-46 - Bells Ford Bridge, Spanning East Fork White River at State Route 258, Seymour, Jackson County, IN
- J.P. - wildcatjon2000 [at] gmail [dot] com
- Will Truax - Bridgewright [at] gmail [dot] com
- Mike Daffron - daffmikron [at] gmail [dot] com
Comments
This was(is) the last of those combination Post truss spans.
Although listed as lost, all of the wrought and cast iron components are in storage. I don't believe any of the wood was retained, but considering the penchant to rip all of the historic wood out of covered bridges these days...I guess that's not a big deal! It remains to be seen if this bridge will ever be rebuilt.
As below, those with an interest in Bell Ford may find this entry on one of the principal's in the Cleveland bridge building firm which produced it of value -
http://bridgewright.wordpress.com/2013/11/30/its-all-in-a-na...
Those with an interest in this bridge, or Simeon & AJ Post and their trusses, may have an interest in this blog entry bio I put up awhile back.
I was recently reminded of it when there was a spike in readership recently, homework related research I'm guessing.
I probably should work to steal the time to condense it into an essay for this page...
http://bridgewright.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/new-beginnings-...
I had read in the newspaper that the Covered Bridge gotten damaged from High Speed Winds
The essential parts of this bridge (wrought iron rods and cast iron fittings) are all in storage. Most of the original wood was rotted or destroyed in the collapse. Current plans call for the bridge to be re-erected at Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park in Indianapolis.
Stored, repairs have been done to the ironwork of the first collapsed span. All federal funding is in place. Need local match. Have until 2008 or this bridge will be lost to southern Indiana.
Interested donars may send money to
Jackson County Auditor
% Debbie Eggerman
Brownstown Courthouse
Brownstown, IN. 47220
specify donation is to go to Bell Ford Account
Sincerely
Fleeta K. Arthur
jackson County Park and Recreation Board
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/in/jackson/bell-ford/
In picture #18 I see what looks like a bridge pier.Would that have been a railroad bridge pier?