Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site
Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site | |
---|---|
Location | Monroe County, Missouri, United States |
Coordinates | 39°25′58″N 92°06′09″W / 39.43278°N 92.10250°W[1] |
Area | 1.24 acres (0.50 ha) |
Elevation | 676 ft (206 m)[1] |
Established | 1967 |
Visitors | 22,118 (in 2022)[2] |
Governing body | Missouri Department of Natural Resources |
Website | Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site |
Union Covered Bridge | |
Nearest city | Paris, Missouri[3] |
Built | 1870 |
Built by | Elliot, Joseph |
NRHP reference No. | 70000342 |
Added to NRHP | June 15, 1970 |
The Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site is a
History
The Monroe County government gave permission for bridge construction over the Elk Fork of the Salt River on April 8, 1870,[4] after two previous bridges at the site had failed.[5] Union Covered Bridge, named after the nearby Union Church, was then constructed in 1871 using locally-sourced oak wood,[6] opening on September 17.[7] It is about 120 feet (37 m)[6] or 125 feet (38 m) long[8] with a height of 12 feet (3.7 m) and width of 17.5 feet (5.3 m)[5] and was originally on the road between Paris and Fayette.[9] Joseph Elliott was the builder.[10] Construction originally cost $5,500 (equivalent to $139,883 in 2023).[4]
Locals raised $1,000 (equivalent to $10,196 in 2023) to preserve the bridge in 1961,[11] but in the late 1960s, the bridge was almost a victim of neglect.[6] In 1967, the bridge was damaged by a flood, with parts of the bridge's siding being swept away.[4] Earlier that year, the Missouri General Assembly had passed a law to bring all remaining covered bridges into the state into the state parks system.[7] It was later repaired using salvaged timbers from the Mexico Covered Bridge,[6] which had been destroyed in the same flood. Further restoration occurred in 1968, at a cost of $25,000 (equivalent to $219,043 in 2023). It was closed to vehicular traffic in 1970 after it was damaged, likely by a truck bearing a heavy load that had detoured away from a low-water crossing.[4] The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 15, 1970.[12] Repairs were made in 1988,[7] and it survived flooding during the Great Flood of 1993.[9]
A flood in 2008 damaged the bridge, with parts of the bridge's structure being knocked loose.
Design
The Union Covered Bridge is the only
References
- ^ a b "Union Bridge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Missouri State Park Attendance For January - December, 2022" (PDF). Missouri State Parks. February 3, 2023.
- ^ a b Piggott, Charla A. (March 3, 1970). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form (Union Covered Bridge)" (PDF). Missouri State Parks. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d Keller, James E. (November 3, 1976). "Missouri's Covered Bridges". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d "At Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site A Relic of the Past". Missouri State Parks. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Hahn, Valerie Schremp (July 4, 2021). "Undercover, Over Water: Historic Covered Bridges in Missouri and Illinois Tell Stories of Long-Ago Journeys". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ a b c Emery, Tom (January 14, 2018). "Missouri's Remaining Covered Bridges Speak to Bygone Era". Hannibal Courier-Post. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ a b Well, Tom (April 18, 1982). "Long Way is Fine Way to Kansas City". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ a b c Fisher, James J. (August 27, 1993). "The Old-Timers Were a Little Wiser than We Thought". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ a b Hughes, Chuck (October 8, 1995). "The Bridges of Missouri Counties". St. Joseph News-Press. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ "$1,000 Is Pledged to Preserve Union Covered Bridge". Moberly Monitor-Index. October 27, 1961. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ "National Register Database and Research". National Park Service. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ "Federal Grant Will Help Preserve Missouri's Covered Bridges". The Douglas County Herald. July 14, 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ "Mo. Gets Federal Money for Covered Bridges". The Daily Journal. July 16, 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ "Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site" (PDF). Missouri State Parks. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
External links
- Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site Missouri Department of Natural Resources